The Eye of the Sphinx
by Leo6
Summary: Mayor Manx is dead. The SWAT Kats broke up. A new enemy appears to rule the world with a weapon designed for peace.
1. Chapter 01

Chapter One 

MegaKat City Salvage Yard: 2:34 A.M., Monday, September 9

The skeletal remains of tumbleweed staggered and rolled lazily along the current of the winds like a living, breathing creature, towards the asphalt and powdered by the desert dust. Along one side of the road lie rows of kat-made hills-- remnants of past technological innovations laid to rest into a mound that resembled a graveyard. It was always the reality of life in the pursuit of innovation, where only the old must give way to the new. Everything, from broken home appliances to cars and even jet engines, there was nothing that resembled the past that once signified the glory being brought to them by their creators after having poured blood and sweat and tears into creating them. The tumbleweed rolled deeper into the dust-covered road until its urchin-like branches snagged against the sharp edges of the pile of scrap metal, ending its aimless voyage within the small clearing parked with two cars and a tow truck.

The garage sat silently in the darkness, surrounded by the same pile of wreckage. Within the stillness of the night, crickets sang its lonely tune that echoed within the hills of scrap metal and bounced off within its hollowed-out metallic shells creating a moody sound. A singular stream of thin gray smoke flowed out from the pipe exhaust and headed westwards, where MegaKat City lies. It was a picture of perfect serenity that resembled a log cabin high up in the mountains where the only potential danger would even be nothing more than a pin drop falling off the table. Yet something must bound to happen for every second that pass by this desolate area, but no one, except fate alone, could foresee the change that will occur whether it would deem significant or not.

The silence of the night shatters like glass from a short but sharp scream shooting out the bedroom window. Inside, a he-kat finds himself staring at the chipped off patches of paint as his eyes shook, staring at the ceiling. Unnoticed, trickles of sweat falls off from the sides under his ears and onto the pillow as he sits up and drags his left paw slowly over his face. The leather under his paw drenched and shimmered under the column of light from the lamppost outside as his hand shudders that he retracts his claws under the hood of his fingers. Never before did he have a nightmare that made the fur on his face drench in sweat for the first time.

A she-kat swiveled her head all over the pillow on the other side of the bed as she tossed herself to her right side facing the edge. She moans, trying to break free from the overwhelming drowsiness of slumber the moment her ears began feeding the sharp sound coming from her partner into her consciousness.

For almost five minutes he kept his eyes towards the ceiling like a patient suffering from a very high fever. Slowly, his thoughts began to settle back to reality, realizing he would never find any answers from a thin, peeled off layer of plywood that dangled under the influence of gravity. With the thought of sleep fading away once he opens his eyes, he lifts himself off the pillow, throwing the sheets that covered his body over to his left side where the she-kat was sleeping. He sat up on the edge of the bed as the drops of sweat began to accumulate off his whiskers. Reaching for his track pants hanged on the backrest of his computer chair, he throws himself out of bed and heads for the windows to cool his head. The fur over his face began to sway with the wind flowing from outside. His nostrils began to twitch as well, taking in the odor of rusted metal. Allowing the shimmering distant lights of the city to melt into his mind in the wee hours of the morning, he slowly closes his eyes and begins to dream again. The visions of notorious dogfights; the continuous beeps of warning indicators on his weapons panel to a deafening level; the aftershocks in the cockpit whenever a missile explodes close to them; the blood mixing with the oil spilling from the wreckage of tanks, fighter jets and bodies that littered the streets more than the scrap in his junkyard. It continued to blind him away from the present. He had seen enough carnage to last him nine lifetimes when he decided to replace their non-lethal weapons with conventional ones, filling his mind with floodwaters tainted red. It was a desperate thing for him to fight a near losing battle.

The she-kat he was sleeping with slowly sat up on the bed as she pulls the sheets above her chest. Turning her head towards the nightstand on her left, her hand gropes for a pair of glasses and dons them over her eyes. She easily spots him as she crossed her arms, tucking the hems of the sheet under them. To her, everything was as clear as daylight even in the darkness as she ignored the thought of turning on the night lamp.

"What's wrong, Jake?" She asked in a soft voice.

As if he was the only one in the room, Jake ignores her. He opens the bedroom door and exits to the kitchen where the refrigerator can be seen from where she was sitting. He pulls out a quart of fermented milk from the refrigerator and rips a small hole over the cardboard flap with his index claw.

"Nothing, Callie. Just having a nightmare, I suppose." Jake answered as he pressed his lips over the spout. For that one minute, he was conscious enough to acknowledge her presence.

Calico Briggs was no stranger to fact, let alone fiction. She had seen and had her share of the danger even if it defies the laws of science or of common logic. Premonition, too, was neither the product of science nor logic, but she is willing to believe whatever Jake dreamt about, if it were such a dream.

The tip of Callie's left ear began to droop a little, watching Jake slowly tipping the end of the carton halfway over his mouth. A stream of milk with the hazy color of fresh coconut juice gushes out from the sides of his lips every time he swallows huge mouthfuls into his gullet. Thirst also entered her mind as Callie slips out of the bed as well and wrapped a towel around her waist, but it was so small that much of her upper left thigh was still exposed as she walked. She joins Jake into the kitchen and took the carton off his hands. With a slight grin as she watches Jake's eyes following hers, she drank the remaining contents to the last drop and placed the empty carton on top of the refrigerator, licking the remaining droplets off the sides of her whiskers and lips and lets out a slight purr. Before she could wait for the alcohol to settle into her system, she inched closer towards Jake and dragged her fingers reaching over the fur on his chest in soft circular motions.

"You've been having that nightmare for the past six months now, Jake. And you keep insisting that it hasn't been bothering you." Callie whispered.

Jake Clawson was always the 'honest Kat', but for once he felt like lying to her.

"There has to be a first time at something, like having a nightmare." Jake shrugs.

Callie shook her head slightly and pursed her lips. "Then refresh me: what was the dream about?"

It was the chill that ran up and down his spine that held his tongue and his lips refused to move as if his jaws were locked in place. The only vision that kept surfacing in his mind is the remains of the pinnacle of law in MegaKat City: the city hall. Inside the collapsing building was a portly middle-aged tabby with an unconvincing wig and an Irish accent screaming for help, his eyes frozen and motionless as he watches the world crumble under him.

To Jake, it was another lifetime ago.

"Everyone could still remember that day. It still lingers in my mind." Callie whispered that her voice choked up. She knew what Jake was thinking about.

Callie wraps her arms around Jake's neck and rests her head against his chest, feeling the extra warmth of another furry body.

"Did you think that returning to normal life is something you always wanted?"

Jake could only scoff as he shook his head slowly.

"It never used to be like this. I was a pilot back then. Every time I ride piggyback in the cockpit of a fighter jet, I could feel the fur flying off my skin that I thought my guts are gonna pop out of my tail. I love it when I'm up at the sky in a jet faster than a bat out of hell."

"I could almost imagine that." She smiled as her arms trembled slightly.

"Then there was Dark Kat."

It was the one name that that cut her soft breathing short. Her lips started to strain as she looks up and stared Jake straight in the eyes long enough to see her reflection in his pupils.

Jake sighed. "It was strange. After having to 'destroy' the Enforcer Building Flight Deck and being sent to this junkyard, I thought I could relive those days riding inside the cockpit once again."

He hums a low tone to relieve himself and continued.

"So you think that having Dark Kat locked in my targeting scanners was something not meant for rookies?"

She shook her head, feeling the pull of the strands of her short blonde hair brushing against Jake's fur as if it were Velcro. "We were all rookies once. Every hot-blooded young Kat out there would have gone through the same ordeal just to prove that they could slug it out with the best of the veterans with equal force. Manx, however, was another thing to begin with. Men like Feral shouldn't be hated, nor to be totally worshiped in a way. He knows that Dark Kat was too much a handful to begin with."

His eyebrows frowned as he released himself from Callie's embrace. Walking towards the table, he grabs the backrest of the chair and pulls it out as he sat down, staring blankly through the vase of daisies that Callie brought with her during the day when Jake towed her sedan to the garage for an overhaul.

"We had the tag. And because of that we had to take matters into our own hands by building the Turbo Kat out of worthless junk. Dark Kat and Feral created us." He mumbled. The alcohol from the fermented milk began to give everything halos as his eyes started to glaze. He huffs.

"Do you still regret it, then?" She asked without turning to face him.

The two felt silent and Callie gave up on waiting for Jake's answer. As if curiosity didn't kill the kat, Callie allowed her eyes to roam around the kitchen. She raised her eyebrows when she spots a glimmer of something shiny and rounded just next to the sink. Walking towards it, she spots a helmet; a design in which unlike any of the Enforcers use as the blue and red trim glimmered under the light of the lamppost outside. She picks it up with both hands that felt like carrying a bowling ball under her arms. Callie inspects the nearly rusted and scratched off paint, then in the hollowed out area padded with foam and a few wires embossed inside that she grins playfully and dons it onto her head.

"Look at this." Callie smiled as she pressed the button protruding on its right side under the ear. The tinted visor slid down with a mechanized whir and instantly her vision disappears to pitch black as she looks around. Her ears twitched when a short beep came from the helmet, as everything she sees started to glow into a bright green. A smile formed over her lips, as everything she sees was something like a world in a fairytale.

"Night vision. Amazing." She smiled as she pressed the button again and the visor slides back to its former position. She removes the helmet off and continues to examine it. At the left side of the helmet, she also noticed five letters embossed in black. The tip of her fingers lumbered up and down as she drags them along the sides, tracing the shape of each letter and spelling it in her mind.

It spelled RAZOR.

Nostalgia began to fill her thoughts as she spoke. "I always felt that you we're the sharp one, always keeping cool under fire as you wait patiently for the indicators on the monitor to zero in on your target. Back when you and Chance used to fly the Turbo Kat..."

Callie's eyes shook with bafflement as she watched the helmet being snatched away in a blink of an eye. She looks up, Jake staring at her blankly as she watches him throw the helmet out the window and towards the pile of junk. Gravel and sand along with a few pebbles on the dirt began to scratch the helmet off its remaining paint as it crashed and skidded several times like a stone skipping on the surface of water. A sharp metal-to-metal crash pierced her ears as Callie flinched and pulled the muscles of her earlobes back.

"What was that all about? You didn't have to do that!" Callie scolded as she looks out the window.

Jake grunted as he returned to his seat.

She scowled at him in the darkness. Refusing to be ignored, Callie made up her mind to start an argument. 

"It seems to me that the only thing that spawned out of you ever since you buried your secret identity is remorse."

"What did you say?" Jake muttered. The pupils in his eyes narrowed.

"Make up your mind, Jake! It seems like you still miss playing 'superhero' for the good people of MegaKat City! Maybe all it takes is to have one of Dr. Viper's killer mutant monsters chewing up buildings, or having the Metallikats blow up a few bank vaults along the way then all I have to do is press the communicator and..."

The thunder of fisted paws slamming over the table returned the silence back in the room, followed by the ringing of broken glass over the floor. Callie lowered her sights near his feet and saw the litter of daisies and fragments of the vase all over the floor. He shot up from his seat and faces her, shaking his finger as he snapped.

"The Swat Kats are dead! If Chance wanted to go back to being an Enforcer then that's fine with me! I just don't want any part of it, either with the psychos we call super villains, or Feral, or that junk heap I named as the Turbo Kat! I just want to live my life without fear of blowing up some innocent house or Feral breathing down my neck over the radio all because the Swat Kats are 'trigger-happy hotshots and blew up millions of dollars worth of damages'!"

Jake didn't need to be reminded how much of his pent-up emotions exploded by the way he glowered at Callie as he breathes sharply through his teeth. As if breaking free from the bondage of guilt, he began to simmer down as he watches the tears falling over her eyes, Callie covering her chest under her arms as she turned her head away, sobbing. Jake paid attention to her breath turning feverish every time he inches closer to her and watches her retreat against the kitchen counter. It was lightning that struck his consciousness-- the lightning of his confused mind.

"Callie, I'm so sorry. It was stupid of me to..." Jake uttered, dragging both hands to wipe away his confusion as he staggers back against the sink. He sucks in breath.

The fur behind Jake began to crawl as he waited for Callie to answer. The unnerving silence continued to drill forcefully into his mind of the possible outcome of having to display his anger. His body shook when Callie spoke.

"You were a soldier once; you carried real weapons and trained to follow orders even if the ultimate price for it is to kill."

Jake turns to face Callie the moment he hears her voice and removes his hands over his eyes. Somehow, he managed to avoid the unthinkable as Callie kept her eyes to the floor.

"You know, I was glad that you were on my side in the decision to stop your vigilante lifestyle, knowing that the Enforcers are out there patrolling the streets with the skill and firepower now equal to yours, only innumerable. You and Chance protected the city for countless times and the people will cherish it in their minds. So this time, it's my turn to protect you."

It was a difficult time for Jake as Callie observes him, almost as if witnessing a green soldier who was forced to choose between his duty and his conscience. But it wasn't Jake alone who was suffering, knowing that the people of MegaKat City did share his pain, if not lingering on one's own. It wasn't something that is out of the ordinary during months of stopping one super villain after another with their plans of domination or outright destruction. It took only another of their own kind to turn life upside down and to change their way of living forever. Somehow, those fortunate few who survived the Second MegaWar felt fortunate back then: only the courageous die young.

She sighed deeply, thinking whether if this was the same he-kat who she fell in love with, even before she knew the extra service he has done for the people of the city aside from repairing cars and keeping their junk. Realizing that Jake needed time to sort out his feelings of remorse, she returns to the bedroom and began picking up her clothes scattered all over the floor.

"I have to go now. My public awaits me in the morning, you know." She said as she slips on her bra. "Plus, I have to deal with a bunch of bureaucrats along with Mr. Young and company for talks about the new satellite defense system in Puma-Dyne."

Jake shook his head, thinking that things might have cooled off between them. He decides that casual talk works best to iron out a relationship after an argument. "These new innovations would soon put the Enforcers out of their jobs." Jake spoke silently.

"Well, let's just hope that will never happen. You almost don't have enough bed space for the two of us if Feral or Chance decides to have either one of them as your new bunkmate."

"So much for privacy." Jake mumbled as he silently remained where he stood.

* * * * *

Outside, the sun still halfway before showering the world with its warmth, an engine sputters to life as Jake stood outside the driver's side of the door of his car. Callie sat behind the wheel working the gas pedal.

"I'll have someone return your car in the morning." Callie said, raising her voice a bit as the engine roared like a racecar engine.

"Sure thing. By that time your car's gonna be good as new." Jake said.

The shiver in his spine compelled him to begin clearing up some misunderstandings as he watches Callie silently, choosing the words he could use. As Jake watches her outside the driver's side of the window, he noticed the way Callie frowning slightly and realized she was still far from recovering from the shock, staring aimlessly across the road leading through the desert and to the city. It was going to be any second before she drives away as he fidgets slightly in the darkness and decided to take a risk on the words he chose to break the wall of ice. Waiting for the engine to slow, he began.

"Listen, Callie," Jake stutters, "I'm sorry for snapping at you back there. It was insensitive of me when I know you were just trying to help. I shouldn't have…"

It was something unexpected from Callie as Jake helplessly watches her left paw stretching behind the back of his neck and being pulled towards her, his lips now preoccupied on hers rather than finishing his explanation. She released him from the lip lock, Jake silently gasping for air as Callie smiled slyly at him.

"Next time, you better have a damn good apology cooked up before I drop by again. Later tonight, I mean."

As if coming out from a deep hypnotic trance, Jake smiled and answered, "Yes, Miss Mayor. One car overhaul and an apology coming up."


	2. Chapter 02

Chapter Two

Puma-Dyne Block 31: 2:57 AM

Everywhere he looks, a sense of claustrophobia begins to develop within the fears of a lone Enforcer security guard as he patrolled along the various structures of the 31st Block at the edge of Puma-Dyne. To him, they look more like gigantic creatures with boxy frames of reinforced concrete and steel towering all around him, a nightmare that came to life in the darkness. He found it strange for the staffers working in Puma-Dyne and thought of how they cared little for aesthetic architecture. Having to hear time and again the same explanation that safety is of utmost priority in case an accident occurs, the design of each building serves its purpose, enough to survive even a nuclear fallout. He believes it, of course, yet it only took nighttime to change his mind.

He kept his left paw over the radio hooked unto his Kevlar vest as he feels the hard plastic with his fingers. He glances at it now and then for every few feet he walks in hopes that someone might call. To him, having to listen to another voice made him feel more at ease rather than the kind of weight and protection the pulse rifle could offer him as it was slung over his shoulder.

The radio crackled with static as he immediately unhooked the transceiver with trembling paws.

"SP31 calling Conway. Do you copy? What's your status, over?" The radio hissed.

Conway straightens himself and replied like a true Enforcer, yet his voice stutters. "Loud and clear, SP31. Perimeter is secure and not even a rat on sight, over."

"Uhh, copy that. Return to Post for relief. By the way-- Hanks, Miller and I are gonna have a little poker game tomorrow night at my place and we need a fifth. You want in? Over."

Conway fell silent for a moment still deciding if whether he should accept or not. For every second that pass, he could almost imagine the buildings would come to life and about to trample him at any second. He shudders.

"You're just gonna clean me out of my savings, Closs." Conway huffed. Puffs of warm breath came out of his mouth from the autumn cold. "But anything's better than being alone out here. Tell the guys I'm in and I'll only agree to a penny-nickel-dime game, over."

Closs chuckled on the other line. "That's a big affirmative. Return to Security Post. Over and out."

His heart finally stopped racing after hearing his friend's voice over the radio as he prepares to return. Before he could hook the receiver over his vest, a hollow metallic sound filled his ears that every muscle in his body froze, his hands paralyzed that he dropped the radio to the ground. Trying to break free from the paralysis, Conway removes the rifle strap from off his right shoulder and trained the rifle with his right hand. He kneels down to pick up the receiver from the ground and placed it over his mouth and spoke.

"Conway calling SP31. I think I heard something."

Closs's voice crackled from the speaker after a few moments: "I'm not getting any readings in my scanners. Seismic, thermal, audio, night vision: nothing. Over."

His throat begins to dry up as he checks the surroundings. At one point as he looks towards the narrow path heading to the back of Block 31-C, he could feel every nerve in his body was focused towards the path that causes the skin under his fur to crawl.

"I swear, Closs. I heard something." He screeched.

Inside the Security Post 31, the Enforcer in front of the communications panel kept punching commands on his computer.

"You're such a scaredy kat, you know that? Next time I'm gonna assign Jenkins as your partner in a daytime patrol and I don't care how annoying he gets with his lame-ass stories." Closs grumbled as the holo-screen began showing live video feed from where Conway was standing, while the remaining unoccupied areas of the screen showed different perspectives and readings near where he stood. He waits for a moment, and one screen shifts itself on top and places an electronic marker on it. "Okay, my scanners picked up something… it's kinda like… kats alive!"

Conway's hands shook as he trained the rifle with both hands, his thumb sliding the switch below the saddle grip of the stock close to his right cheek; the rifle hums to life with fusion energy. His breathing turns feverish as he prepares himself for what might jump out in front of him.

"An empty can of tuna lying at the back door near Block 31-C, you knucklehead." Closs said flatly. "Get back here before the Commander chews your head off if he ever finds out about this."

Conway continued to hold his rifle up, as he continued to stride slowly towards the specified building. He breaks out in cold sweat, as his entire back shivers from the tingling sensation on his fur. Between fear and duty, Conway was on the verge of being torn apart by his own instincts.

"I'm just gonna take another sweep through there before returning to Post. I might need some backup as well. I could really feel something wicked around here."

Without waiting for a response, the lone Enforcer steels himself through the path, his rifle ready to shoot whatever that moves. Drops of sweat began to trickle off his chin as he approaches the Testing Facility where mostly prototype engines are being tested to use for space programs conducted by the MegaKat Aeronautics and Space Administration. He knew of the reputation in this particular building after having heard rumors of one male kat who died in an explosion over a year ago and believed to be haunting the place. He nearly jumped off his skin the moment the tip of his boots trod against a small metallic object and skidded along the concrete path. He aimed his rifle at it and his forefinger in the verge of pulling the trigger.

"There's the can. Now where did it come from?" He whispered to himself as his voice shook.

He didn't have a moment to assess himself when he hears it again; this time he watched the empty can of tuna jump off into the air and landed only a few more inches away from him. His eyes widened on the verge of popping out of its sockets and his arms shook uncontrollably, no longer having a good grip on his rifle has he prepares to run away screaming. He turns around when he stops dead on his tracks as he saw something else standing in his way. It was a silhouette that was shrouded within the shadows. His jaw drops open when he notices the glowing red eye on its left and his legs began to tremble.

It was the last thing that burned in his mind when the eye flashed, and his vision instantly fades to black.

"Conway. Conway! SP31 calling Conway! Do you copy?" Ross shouted over the communications panel.

Ever since the terrorist attack over a year ago, Jesse Closs thought that Puma-Dyne had the best security in all of MegaKat City, because he believed that the Enforcers are out there, patrolling every sector of every narrow path the kat-made maze of buildings towering all around. Cameras were the only option to monitor even behind garbage bins if watchtowers could not get a much better view of the area as he watches the hologram screen floating in front of him. Laser turrets and SAM sites within a 50-meter radius, and even a small barracks located in the heart of the science and research district, Closs could have sworn that Puma-Dyne was a veritable fortress that could rival the Enforcer Headquarters. He takes a swig of the nearly cold coffee as he punched a few buttons. A large viewing screen floated over the holo-projector as he spoke over the microphone.

"Calling all SP31 units near Block 31-C. Check out the Testing Facility and pick up one of our guys, over."

He waits momentarily until four responses from different guards, three men and a woman, came over the speakers and replied, "Affirmative."

He watches from the command screen and in a few minutes, all four Enforcers arrived at the intersection between 31-C and 31-D and relayed their position.

"Go check the back door. That's one of our boy's twenty." He ordered, thinking that Conway must be pissing his pants by now. He fumed as he shook his head.

But no response came after more than ten minutes of waiting. He types in several commands on the computer. When he pressed the 'enter' key, he watched in bafflement as the numerous videos being fed on the main holo-screen rained snow and static one after another. Shaking his head in bafflement, he started punching more commands on his computer when the ground shook, knocking the senior security officer off his chair as well as the people in the room. He picks himself up; the holo-projector began flooding the screen with numerous warning signs and reports. Claxons blared and red strobes overwhelmed the fluorescent lights as the room shook violently followed by a deafening explosion that nearly made their hearts jump out. Everyone including Closs ran out to the emergency exits and gathered near the intersection, their faces froze in shock as they witness a bright glow piercing through the darkness. A large column of smoke billowed from the smoldering remains of the building, covering the view of stars like an outstretched hand of Death rising up in the air.

* * * * *

3:05 AM

Sleep was the last thing that Ulysses Feral had in mind the moment his phone shook him from his deep slumber and started his morning by hitting his shin on the antique rocking chair his great aunt left him. His face betrayed no signs of pain or confusion after a few minutes of groaning while slipping on his white long-sleeved shirt, pants, shoes, and his Enforcer issued shoulder holster that carried his side arm. But to him it's just another day, or before dawn, where he has a duty to perform. Looking himself in front of the mirror, his hands continued working over his necktie and pulling it off straight again whenever he fails tying a double Windsor. He sucks in all the oxygen he could fill his lungs as he stares at the eye bags in the mirror and shakes his head a little, filling every ventricle with fresh blood. With the pain in his shin slowly vanishing to a needle prick, he could have wished he were a machine and could do his duties tirelessly in a twenty-four-hour basis. Recharge time only takes an hour.

Feral dons his overcoat and straightens the epaulets and medals that decorate the left side over his chest, thinking it will be the first time he'll be on the job without a necktie. A knock came to his door before he could lay a hand on one of the upper buttons.

"Uncle Ulysses?"

He opens the door and finds a sleepy Felina standing on the other side as she scratches her head under her white sideburns. His eyebrows raised sternly, looking at the clothes Felina was sleeping in as he notices the overhanging white undershirt that much of her lower abdomen was exposed as well as the blue mini-shorts that could almost resemble her underwear. He could have scolded her for the getup she sleeps in; unable to relinquish in his mind the image of the little girl he used to carry in his arms whenever her family visits him back then. Now a full-grown and beautiful she-kat, she is now an Enforcer under his command.

"I thought I heard something being knocked over." Felina yawned. Her eyelids opened as she noticed her uncle's military attire. "Where are you going at this hour?"

"I knocked my shin against the chair to wake myself up." Feral answered, his voice sounded like he was coughing up a fur ball. "Well, now that you're awake, help me tie a double Windsor."

"Coffee could have done incredible wonders to a sleep-deprived old kat like yourself." Felina enters and reaches for the tie. Feral straightens up to his full height and raises his chin. She stood on top of the small stool to compensate for Feral's seven-foot frame as Felina flipped the ends of the necktie in knots with ease.

"You've been in the Enforcers for as long I was still a kitten and you still can't tie a double Windsor." She smirked. "Plus, you didn't answer my question. And even if you don't tell me, I want to come along." Felina said as she kept her eyes on the necktie.

"You don't have to come along. Just go back to sleep after this."

Felina shook her head as she pulls the back end of the necktie to tighten it in place and pats it with her right paw.

"All done. Now if you could just give me a minute to put on my uniform and…"

Feral huffs as he shook his head. "If I tell you then do you promise to just report to Enforcer Headquarters in a normal time?"

Felina crossed her arms as she looks at her uncle. She could only nod sleepily.

"There was an explosion in Puma-Dyne a few minutes ago." He said as he checks himself in the mirror again and picks up his black oak cane with a rounded silver grip resting near the door. "We lost five Enforcers out there in the inferno. I'm going there to check on the situation. That's all. No more questions."

Felina steps back as her uncle exits the room. Shaking her head at him, it was the first time that he explains a situation to her in that manner more than Ann Gora could squeeze out from him. She follows him from behind to the front door when he stops and turns around to face her. Then he takes her hand and gives it a paternal kiss on the top.

"Thanks for helping me with the tie, kitten." Feral smiled as he held Felina's hand with his left and gently patting it with his right. "Lock up tight once I get out."

Felina held her hand up to her chest as she watches her uncle drive off into the darkness. She smiles a bit. It was a long time since her uncle has ever called her kitten even after graduating from the Enforcers Academy a few years ago.


	3. Chapter 03

Chapter 03

New City Hall: 7:13 AM

Mayor Calico Briggs sits silently behind her desk, resting her chin above her paws as she patiently endures the continued barrage of complaints and reports from various representatives from Puma-Dyne, Young Enterprise, MegaKat Insurance and other people just to get into her hair. The only thing she could do was stare blankly through them, thinking if she were to pretend to be like Manx, the pain would be rather endurable. Sure, she handled people like this before and made her job a lot easier as deputy mayor, but it's a whole new ballgame when she has the fullest authority to solve other people's problems once she finally sits on the seat of power.

Slamming her paws over the desk, Callie succeeded in silencing everyone in the room. She had enough of the mindless nagging that continued to make her head throb.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen." Callie sighs, trying to regain some of her composure. "I understand what you're all going through and I will see to it that this whole situation will be solved at the soonest possible time. If you will all excuse me, I will see Commander Feral so we'll know where we stand in all this. You will all be informed once I get the Enforcers' report."

As if on cue, Callie's secretary Julia Furrguson enters the office as she motioned the people out the door. Callie thanked her with her eyes. She slumps over her shoulders as Callie absorbed the sight of her empty office that was filled with people a few minutes ago. Just when Julia was about to close the doors behind her, one arm stretched out in the door's way as he lets himself in. A tiny commotion broke out between Julia and the unexpected visitor as he managed to force himself into the office.

"Mr. Chang, anything else you want." Callie breathes out as her eyebrows began to strain as she recognized Mr. Young's assistant.

Like his employer, Maurice Chang is a kat with so much responsibility carried over his thin shoulders and would never return without so much as some sort of good news. Somehow, looking the way he works reminds her of herself when Callie was still deputy mayor as she notices the glint in his eyes the kind of vigor she once had.

"Mayor Briggs, you know the importance of completing the project that we entrusted to you in Puma-Dyne. Though the cost of such a project is such a substantial amount, we hope that you could assure the safety of the project."

Callie forces a smile in her lips for the sake of pleasantries. "Yes, Mr. Chang. Just go tell Mr. Young that he has my assurance that the project will proceed as planned."

Mr. Chang left the office, leaving Callie staggering to the chair next to the window across the room. She looks out from the tenth floor of the new clock tower, wondering what sort of newer grief would befall her for today.

A sharp buzz from the intercom caught her attention as Callie approached her desk.

"Mayor Briggs, Commander Feral has arrived."

"Send him in."

Callie shifts her sights towards the doors as Commander Feral enters through the left side of the door. Like her, Feral was just as annoyed at the whole situation after going through various reports as well as complaints from all the personnel present in Puma-Dyne as he closes the door half-heartedly. Under his left arm carried an assortment of folders and pictures as thick as two dictionaries.

"I assume that you're not having a good day, Miss Mayor." Feral spoke gruffly; noticing the way Callie drags her feet across the carpet.

"I could say the same thing to you." Callie sighed.

It was the sense of familiarity that brought a grin over their faces as they observed at each other. These two kats come a long way off, having to settle their differences during the days when the former Mayor Manx used to run the city. Though their constant arguments and debates are the direct cause of their sense of professionalism, their admiration for each other could only be regarded as a product of something less than being personal, if not platonic, but nevertheless the respect that they both deserve.

Callie motioned Feral to sit on one of the chairs as he rests his cane beside him. He lets out a sigh as the leather pads pressed snugly against the sore areas of his back.

"Lay it out on me slowly, Commander. And to the point." Callie instructed as she rubbed her temples with both paws.

Feral crossed his eyebrows as he places the folders on top of the desk. Callie's eyes widened as if it threatened to fall out, staring at the number of pages that she thought her desk was about to break in half by the weight coming from the pile of folders. Feral grins as he pulls out a disk from his pocket and inserted it into the computer. Much to Callie's relief, she pressed the button under her desk and instantly the blinds at the window were automatically lowered to block out the sunlight and the lights dimmed. Feral grabbed the remote control placed near the computer and began his report.

The first image that floated over the holo-projector on top of the ceiling in the middle of the room indicated the smoldering remains of a building.

"This is the Testing Facility in Puma-Dyne; three hours after the fire was contained." Feral described. "Everything in the building, from equipment, prototype engines, and schematics for each of those prototypes were reduced to ashes."

Callie observes the image as she motioned Feral to continue. Her glasses glowed from the reflection of light over the surface, acting like a mirror.

Feral pressed the button on the remote control and another image floated out in the middle of the room. Though dark and blurred from so much movement on the camera, a bright reddish glow stood out from the darkness.

"The only lead we have who might have perpetrated the act would be this. It was taken from one Private Harry Conway in his recording equipment that's a standard issue for most of my men on patrol duty, kind of like the black box in most commercial airlines. We managed to retrieve the recording device but he, however, was another matter entirely."

Callie stood up from her chair and approached the image, as the glow reflected over her glasses grew brighter.

"Weird. This 'thing' has something glowing on its eye. Night vision goggles, perhaps?" Callie muttered, waving her hand around to make out a possible outline of its figure as her fingers pierce through the beam and blocking some of the image out.

Feral cleared his throat. "We weren't able to get much audio recordings on his log, but it seems to me that it was that 'thing's' eye. According to the officer in charge of Security Post 31, he said that Conway heard something like an empty tuna can that was kicked around. Of course, I might have called it as a diversion, although childish it was."

"A can?" Callie looked at Feral in a quizzical manner.

Feral clears his throat. "I take it as a measure to know everything going on as my men patrol the area. I guess it did remind me of Dr. Viper when he showed up in the MegaKat Biochemical Lab."

Feral pressed another button on the remote control and instantly the image disappears, ending his little slideshow. Callie returns to her seat and presses the button under her desk and the light from outside filled the room.

"There has to be more than a dozen prototype engines that the intruder could have stolen." Callie suggested.

"I doubt that, Mayor." Feral shook his head as he removes the disk from the computer and dropping it back into his breast pocket. "They would have taken their time even if the perpetrator had a thousand accomplices with it since those engines are used for space shuttles. We're talking about really big ones here."

"Or maybe they're not after the engines. Probably schematics or plans for those engines." Callie suggested, narrowing her eyes on her own hypothesis.

Feral remained silent and anticipated on what Callie had said. He changed the subject after allowing Callie enough time to ponder on the idea. It was something that Feral would have allowed unlike his former employer would ever think of pondering.

"The administrator of the Testing Facility wishes to dispose of what's left of the wrecked engines. I suggest that it should be taken to the scrap yard. Meanwhile, my investigating team are working around the clock to try to get a much sharper image than the one I've shown as well as looking through video surveillance footage over the last twenty-four hours to see where we actually stand."

Callie felt silent, much to Feral's expectations, as she nods.

"Okay, Commander. Permission granted to take the wreckage to the salvage yard."

Enforcers Special Aerial Command Center (ESACC): 8:30 AM

The high-pitched roar of twin turbines shook the concrete floor in the hangar as ground units ran for cover behind one of many blast shields surrounding the engine. Heat waves from the exhaust began to warp their line of vision as engineers in blue coveralls and yellow hard caps stood behind one of the blast shields near the jets. They have been wiping the sweat off their faces under the tinted goggles and earmuffs, while some of them began to pant under the extreme heat as they peered through the rectangular, glass-covered hole in the shield. The leader of the group places his paw over the left shoulder of the she-kat in front of the computer, signaling her to begin. She punched it up, and the turbines screams to a deafening level and the blinding glow of the afterburners began to sear the blast shield in front of them. After fifteen seconds, the engines died down and the turbines slowed to a halt. They all gathered in front of the computer monitor, pointing out readings in various virtual graphs, smiling and nodding to each other and indicating that their tests were successful.

Above the testing grounds, a lone kat in an officer's uniform ignores the roar of activity from outside his view window. He remained seated behind the desk in silence. In the next minute, he laughs.

In front of him was a television, showing a cartoon about the frightened and exaggerated expressions of a cat as the hysterical laughter overpowers the engine test outside that he hardly notices.

The intercom buzzed on his desk as he pressed the mute button on his remote control and answered; the sound from outside returns to the room.

"Yes?" He answered, raising his voice a little.

"Lieutenant Furlong. Commander Feral wishes to speak to you on line one."

The smile plastering over his face crumbles at the very mention of the name. He turns off the television as he took a deep breath. What the hell does he want now, he thoughts.

"Thank you, Miss Coleridge. I'll take it from here." He said. Shifting his eyes towards the telephone, he notices the blinking red button indicating that there is a line on hold. He lifts up the handle to his ear and pressed the button on the telephone to connect to the line.

"Yes, Commander. Lieutenant Chance Furlong speaking." He answered in a low voice over the speaker.

Commander Feral stood by his desk littered with the papers he brought with him during his visit with the mayor, pacing around the room as he spoke near a speakerphone.

"I guess you've heard about the recent accident that happened in Puma-Dyne." Feral began.

"Yes, sir. I have. What's that to do with me?"

Feral raised his eyebrows in a lazy manner. "Now, Chance. Don't take it too personal and I'm not implying anything on anyone yet. I just want you to know."

It was the comment that struck a nerve as Chance grinds his teeth.

Feral continued: "According to the report by the Enforcer in charge, one of his men who happened to patrol the area witnessed hearing a sound of like an empty tin can being kicked around..."

"With all due respect, Commander," Chance cuts in, "I don't think that case is being handled by my people or within my jurisdiction. I only train new pilots or have you forgotten?"

Feral sighs as he shook his head slowly. To him, maybe it hasn't been a long time to forget about the past. He clears his throat and continues.

"I was hoping that you could give me something to shed some light into it."

"About what? That Tests Building?"

"The entire building is filled with engines; turbines to be exact. I was wondering if you could give me some better insight of what might have been stolen here, if that was the case."

Chance scratched his head, thinking that Feral still fancies him somewhat as a detective.

"Engines and equipment isn't exactly my field of expertise except just sitting behind the control stick of a jet. I could repair one, sure, but to design one is not my thing."

Feral pressed on: "Well, maybe your old friend Jake Clawson could offer some assistance."

Chance's lips froze, as everything he could remember about Jake was vivid in his thoughts. He decides to give Feral the slip.

"Um, Commander, I don't think now is a good time for a visit. I have some work to do and I'm conducting some engine tests right now. Sorry for wasting your time on calling me. Goodbye, sir."

Chance hung up before giving Feral a chance to say anything.


	4. Chapter 04

Chapter 04

MegaKat City Slums: 11:45 AM

Numerous eyes helplessly follows her around, watching every step she makes as her high heels of reddish rogue color clattered over the sidewalk filled with the numerous steps leading to the front door of each apartment building. She wore a plain trench coat of tan color that covered most of her body, yet failed to conceal an athletic figure as each wrinkle folds deeper as she walked was filled with vigor. The wide brim of her red straw hat covered much of her face as well as the sunglasses over her eyes, looking no less than a cliché of a secret informant. She sets her sights fixedly towards her destination and paying not even a damn's worth of attention to her surroundings. She ignores the holler of wolf calls coming from the young male bystanders sitting around over the steps for cheap thrills, as she crosses a one-way street. Before she could safely cross the other half of the street, a deep and piercing blast from a dump truck at full speed catches her attention as she shifts her head towards the left. As the speeding truck continues to run to make quick work of her, she jumps, clearing the other half of the street with perfect ability. Stopping for a moment to regain her composure, the dump truck screeched to a halt and the pressure from the airbrakes released some of its trapped air. A husky voice calls upon her from the window.

"Hey, toots!" The smaller he-kat with a square jaw shouted. "If yer lookin' for sum attention, it'd be easier if you just stop right in the middle of d' road! We'd gladly takes yuh fer a good time!"

His burly companion with a woolen ski mask covering his eyes chortled. "Yah! Youse be lookin' for a good time now, ain't cha?"

The two waited for anything that resembled a response as they leered at her. The she-kat slowly turned her head and spoke over her left padded shoulder under her trench coat.

"Sorry, boys." Her voice purred. "You're just too butt-ugly to be with. Find yourselves another floozy to scratch you up good."

She strides away as if nothing happened, leaving the two men in the truck laughing boisterously as they rumbled off.

She heads on, taking a left turn to the next intersection and down the road where more row houses sat. After walking a couple dozen feet of sidewalk, she arrives at the steps of an old abandoned building. Checking to make sure no one notices her, she scans her surroundings before entering through the door as the hinges squeaked from the rust. Inside, cobwebs and all kinds of litter adorn the already rotted features of most of the wooden parts of the small entryway. The rays of sunlight mixed with the thin fog of dust created vertical columns that illuminate some of the darker corners like a snow globe. Making sure that everything was clear and undisturbed she stood silently, straining her ears to catch even the faintest sound that might come from inside or anywhere near the building. Once contented enough she began her flight up the stairs. For every step she makes, the friction of the wood and the loose nails filled the staircase as if she was trampling on a living creature squealing in agony. She got off on the first floor and turned to the long corridor towards the left where she passed several locked doors. Stopping at the door with a missing room number at the end of the hallway, she pulls out a short metal rod from her purse about the size of a lipstick and places it near the doorknob. It began to hum with short electronic beeps, followed by the shaking on the wooden floor. The muffled sound of mechanical noises and hydraulic pressure began to churn behind the closed door. After a minute of standing in front of the numberless door, the noises inside the room ceased and the door slid open with a click and she enters.

It was a huge difference between the room inside and the apartment outside. Royal blue carpeting covered much of the floor as the numerous side tables topped with an assortment of glass and gold figurines and statues gave a touch of luxury to the windowless room. The walls, too, weren't left out as huge paintings made by the old masters as well as the new gave life to the white stucco of a zigzag pattern. Every valuable item in the room had its own overhead fluorescent lamp, illuminating each item as well as staving away the darkness. The overhead chandeliers let off an illusion of warmth from the cold atmosphere as she passes through them. Thirty feet away from the small gallery is a door near the fireplace as she approached it, gripping her hand over the knob and gives it a turn to the right.

She enters into a bedroom and began stripping herself from the clothes covering her almost completely, first removing the trench coat, then the business dress suit as she tossed each item over the bed. After a few minutes, her body now exposed leaving only her undergarments, she began the tedious task of peeling off the fur with ease as the flakes of dried sticky emulsion fell to the floor. It was almost like peeling off a skin of an orange, as long strips of fur began to accumulate all around her. She became a different being; her skin glowed with the color of tanned ivory coming from the night lamp. Looking at herself in front of the mirror, she removes the straw hat along with the brown wig and the glasses over her eyes.

With the transformation now complete, she walks towards the computer and turns on the power switch. It hummed and beeped to life and in a few seconds the password program appeared in the monitor. Her fingers pecked away at the keyboard, typing in a six-letter password and immediately the operating system starts and program menu bar appears. She pulls out an optical disk tucked between the laces of her underwear and inserts in into the disk drive. She punched in the commands and the computer began reading the contents of the disk with a slight whir, displaying numerous pages of schematic reports, designs and schedules of its final testing of an upcoming launch in MASA.

"Nothing escapes me once I set my eyes at it." She murmurs to herself. The computer continues to show document after document as her eyes follow along the lines of text. She grins, watching her own reflection on the surface of the screen as she watches her left eye glow in a bloody red and drunk with satisfaction.

MegaKat City Salvage Yard: 12:34 PM

"Will you hurry up, young man? I'm running late for my weekly Bridge Club meeting." An elderly she-kat fussed as she sat on the couch provided for his customers in the garage.

"A few more minutes, ma'am." Jake replied as he stood under the car above his head, lifted by the hydraulic platform as he watches the oil spilling from the plug under the engine and into the drum.

"You know, it'll be a lot easier and faster if you had your big friend around to help you with fixing my car." She grumbles.

Jake frowned when the old she-kat mentioned about his 'friend' as he watches mindlessly at the flowing mud-colored oil.

"We all have to go on with our lives, ma'am." Jake answers half-heartedly; the words 'I respect my friend's decision' nearly escaped his lips.

Jake's work was interrupted when his ears caught the sound of a familiar horn from a dump truck as it lumbered across the road. Jake leaves his work as he watches the dump truck skidded to a halt as the occupants exit from it.

"Well, well, well." Jake breathes through his teeth. "Burke and Murray, the 'Dumbling Brothers'."

The smaller Burke was the first to approach Jake, carrying with him a clipboard of papers to sign. "This 'ere the scrap that Puma-Dyne wants dumped."

Jake stares at Burke for a minute and shifts his eyes towards the bigger Murray standing behind his brother. He reads the papers inserted in the clipboard.

"It says here that there's more of the wreckage than the truck could carry." Jake points out as he lifts his left wrist to check on his watch. "And you're almost behind schedule."

"Yeah, well we can't keep 'dis up any faster'n the two of us could handle." Burke grumbles.

"I don't care." Jake snaps. "Contractors will come flying in at Puma-Dyne within four hours and they need all their crud shipped out. I suggest that you dump your load right now and get your ass back there. Time's wasting if you stand around here."

Burke glowers at Jake as his bigger companion began cracking the knuckles in his paws. "Look 'ere, hotshot, if it weren't fer us you dun' get any work 'ere in da first place!"

Jake cuts Burke off with his index finger shaking at him. "Look here, you little dirt bag," Jake yells over Burke, "I OWN this scrap yard now and if you wanna slug it out you can do so AFTER business hours!"

Burke and Murray froze under their feet as they saw Jake's pupils narrow and his fists shaking. After knowing of Jake's past and what he's capable of, the brothers retreated back to their dump truck swearing under their teeth. Jake stares coldly at them as the dump truck rolled away.

Upon returning to the garage, the music from the radio sitting on top of the tool cabinet two feet away from him ended and the radio newsbreak came next, as Jake shifts his left ear towards it. Reporter Ann Gora's voice came out from the speaker.

"In the events of the accident that happened almost around three AM this morning, five Enforcers on patrol within Sector 31 lost their lives from an explosion that shook part of the weapons and technology district of Puma-Dyne out of their beds. The cause of the explosion was still pretty much unknown, according to Sector 31 director Professor Charles Clayton. Commander Ulysses Feral of the Enforcers has no comment for the time being while preliminary investigations are still on going. Estimated cost of damage done to the Sector 31-C or the Testing Facility would reach roughly around one-hundred-point-five million dollars. The five Enforcers who died in the mishap while patrolling the area were Pvt. Dean Jacobs, Pvt. Burt Dobson, Pvt. Joe Higgins, PFC. Sarah Conneley, and Pvt. Harry Conway. Mayor Calico Briggs will hold a funeral for the names listed along with their families, friends, loved ones, and the members of their Enforcers patrol squad will be held at…"

Before Ann Gora could name the place for the funeral, Jake places his paw on the switch and turns the power off. The garage sat in silence as Jake stares blankly at the radio. Somehow, the dream that he has been having for the last six months flashed sharply across his mind as his chest began to swell up with the same heavy feeling that continues to torture him.


	5. Chapter 05

Chapter 05

MegaKat Museum of Natural History: 9:34 AM, Tuesday, September 10

It was always the same routine for them, but nevertheless it was a sight worth seeing as the rays of sunlight pours over MegaKat City that continue to warm up everything from the biting chill of autumn weather. Facing the east, two security guards yawned sleepily as they stood next to the opposite sides of the large main gate. They have been keeping their eyes over the people slowly gathering in numbers and some of them sitting below the large steps leading to the entrance since six o'clock in the morning as they wait for its doors to open. Only less than thirty minutes left before the museum is open to the public, their supervisor advised them to report once the VIP arrives to check on a new discovery. Motionless, as if they were dozing under their caps with the visor shading their eyes from the sun, they snapped to attention the moment their eyes followed four Enforcers on motorcycles surrounding a stretch limousine, two in the front and back. The convoy turns to a stop in front of the steps along the curb. The security guard watching on the right side of the gate approaches the vehicle while the other one reaches for his radio and called for the rest of his colleagues to prepare. The stretch limousine's door opens as a pair of a she-kat's silken legs emerges from within.

"Mayor Briggs has arrived, ma'am." The security guard standing at the gates called over the radio. Other security guards scrambled towards the steps to create a path for her. People within the area started milling in just to be blocked by the security personnel of the MegaKat Museum of History.

Without waiting for a response, the guard initiated his task as he pressed the numbers of a small numerical keypad that controls the service gate lock. After pressing the tenth number on the keypad, the door swings open from inside with a beep and the security guard hold it half-shut with his paw. People gathering along the steps slowly increased in numbers as they witness the sight of the mayor striding up the stairs towards the museum. The museum security force worked hard on trying to keep the spectators at bay as the mob continued to shove violently from behind that the security guards all held their paws together to create a link. Callie waves at them, causing her admirers to cheer as she brisk walked on the steps and through the service gate.

Inside, the noise from the outside instantly dissolves the moment the cavernous walls of the museum filled her eyes. Though the lights were already operational, Callie still could not get over the feeling of isolation as she stares at the exhibits, among them is a life size copy of a saber-toothed kat and the remains of a megasaurus-rex with its bleached bones casting a huge shadow under the lights of the chandeliers. The clatter of footsteps echoed all around them that almost made the exhibits look alive as Callie shudders. A she-kat's voice calls from behind as Callie nears the elevators. Callie turns around to find a smiling she-kat in her immaculate lab coat.

"Mayor Briggs." She greeted and stretches her paw to shake Callie's.

A warm smile also fell upon Callie's lips as she shook the she-kat's right paw. "Dr. Abby Sinian."

It was a kind of reunion that could only be felt by two she-kats who have shared the experience. Abby Sinian has been an invaluable ally to both Callie and the SWAT Kats during the time when they had to face off the Past Master. Abby's encyclopedic knowledge of history and natural science has been proven repeatedly a valuable help in ways how they were able to defeat the time warlock and others that involved in something beyond the natural understanding.

In silence, Abby accompanied the mayor to the elevators as the museum guards resumed their normal patrol route. The elevators took them to the fifth floor, where mostly precious rare minerals, metals, and stones are stored and examined before they are shown to the public. With a chime, the elevator doors parted open and the two she-kats boarded off the elevator.

"It's great to be seeing you again, Mayor Briggs." Abby began to break the silence as she noticed the kind of chill that runs up and down Callie's spine.

"Please, Dr. Sinian. I'd rather be called Callie while I'm here in the museum." Callie smiled as she looks at Abby with less-than-tired eyes.

They walked three doors to the right until they stopped at the fourth, which a small sign of plated bronze attached at the left side read LABORATORY in large black lettering. Abby opened the door as she motioned Callie to enter first. Inside, various microscopes, beakers of watery liquid in almost every color bubble over the flame of the Bunsen burner. A large oven-like silver box sat on the side near another table littered with various tools, chisels and hammers and a large stone sat among it, wondering if they were still working on that specimen. The lab buzzed with the activity of three more kats in lab coats peering through microscopes, mixing flasks with chemicals and one she-kat typing on the computer.

"It seems kind of busy today." Callie said; her voice had a touch of awkwardness as she observes the rather silent activity.

"Yes. Actually there's one other absent today. Caught the flu, poor guy." Abby frowned a bit, trying not to sound skeptical. "Anyway, about the upcoming 'project', she's the one to talk to." Sinian directs as she points at the she-kat sitting in front of the computer that Callie noticed earlier.

The two approached her workstation as the she-kat stood up from her chair as if on cue. Callie was forced to lift her head up, almost gawking at the she-kat that the top of Callie's blonde hairdo was a little above her shoulders. Though she wore no makeup, the tabby's skin glowed with a pinkish red above her cheeks and under her eyeglasses. A cluster of long brown hair with thin streaks of light brown tied to a ponytail complemented much of her slim, light-furred figure along with her conservative white blouse and dark blue skirt. The she-kat in front of Callie begins to cross her eyebrows slightly, wondering what Callie will get from looking at her.

"Mayor Briggs, this is Alice Katzenkauf. She's the new supervisor of the lab." Abby introduced. Callie raised her hand to shake hers.

"Katzenkauf. I felt that I've heard that name somewhere." Callie said as her eyes strained and taps her index finger reflexively on the left side under her chin.

"I believe that it was from my father Professor Volka Katzenkauf. He was the one who discovered the Kat's Eye over thirty years ago." Alice answered; her voice was thick with a middle-eastern accent.

"Yes." Callie snapped her fingers. "And I'm sure that your father would be proud to see you following in his footsteps."

"I do believe so." Alice smiled. Even her pearly whites shone.

Alice motioned Abby and Callie to the door next to the computer and into her office. Despite of Alice's looks that almost captivated Callie, her office did not say much about her sense of living, as it stands as plain as a used blackboard. Almost every inch of her office was buried under various stacks of papers, a large glass display showing off a collection of fossilized bones of a prehistoric kat, and paper cups of coffee that covered her desk that was also buried under sheets of paper. The only thing on her desk that stood out was a small gray box with a rotary combination lock. Alice began to twist the knob of the combination mechanism as clicking sounds came out softly from it. After a few moments of twisting and turning, the locks were released with a click and Alice pried the lid open. Callie was now looking at a ball of glass about the size of a larger-than-standard softball.

Alice began her intro as she cleared her throat: "For centuries, kat-kind has been appalled by the words of fortunetellers and their predictions. At times they happen to have a crystal ball that glows on their tables that signifies that they are looking at the future. But this is more than just superstition; it's a product of millions of years of evolution." Then Alice held the crystal ball at Callie. "This, mayor, is the Kat's Eye."

Callie couldn't take her gaze away, yet her eyes continue to strain with doubt.

"I've heard about the Kat's Eye back then but I never could have guessed that it'll be nothing more than a crystal ball. No offense, I hope."

"None taken, Mayor Briggs." Alice chuckled. "I was a skeptic as well until my father showed me its true purpose. This is only the smaller version of the Kat's Eye, though. If you would follow me to the window…"

Alice pulls the string to lift the Venetian blinds up, and much of the city can be viewed from where they are. Then Alice took out a rod almost similar to a microphone stand with a small bowl fixed with clamps on top sitting at the corner of the room behind her desk. She reaches down at the middle of the long pole and twists the small knob clockwise as her other paw grabs the upper part and pulls it upwards in accordance to Callie's height. Then she places the crystal ball on top and locks it in place.

"Now you can peer through them. As you do, try to move your eyes anywhere around within the crystal and you will know what I mean." Alice instructed as she took a step back.

Callie did, as she closed her left eye and peered through the crystal with her right. Callie's vision turns hazy at first, and in a moment she can see other people walking about their daily business so much like looking into a vision of the future. Callie lets out a small gasp, realizing that she was looking at Boardwalk Avenue, which was more than fifty blocks from where the museum is.

"Amazing." Callie breathes in awe, unable to tear her eyes away from the view. "This thing almost acts like a magnifying glass and an incredibly powerful one. And you can really see what's happening."

After a few minutes of looking at the same area, Callie also spots a fire red muscle car pulling over at the corner grocer. She recognizes the shape of the car as its owner emerges out from the driver's seat, walks around the car from behind and inserts a few coins in the parking meter. Only she could recognize the dark patches of grease smeared almost all over his grayish blue coveralls and the shoulder length hair tied on his back. Jake must be out of milk are the words that revolves inside Callie's head as she smiles, remembering her visit to the scrap yard late last night. After a couple of minutes, Callie moves away from the crystal ball and hands it over to the tall researcher.

"No wonder why some kats believe in this fortune telling stuff." Callie said as she crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders with the opposing paws. "But how is this possible?"

Callie and Alice returned to the desk as Alice places the crystal all back to its box.

"In a sense, just as our DNA is represented by a double helix, the composition of the Kat's Eye is composed mainly of covalent bonds between two existing pieces of transparent metal. Just like when ice melts when their temperature increases, also releasing hydrogen and oxygen, the crystal continues to evolve in reverse by absorbing other minerals in the air and ground. The actual structure would put two molecules, one concave and one convex, that when it bonds, it forms into one whole molecular sphere where each of them acts as the magnifying glass in a telescope. Put them all together and you get the Kat's Eye. The one inside the box took almost twenty thousand years to develop into its present size.

"The actual Kat's Eye has been kept in the military warehouse in Cairo, Egypt and about fifteen meters in diameter. It will be ready for the third launch that will install the Kat's Eye in the new surveillance satellite. Finally, millions of years of evolution will be of good use for kat-kind."

Callie especially Abby's faces were appalled by the doctor's simple but detailed explanation of the Kat's Eye's composition. After spending five minutes in silence, contemplating on Alice's words, Callie broke the silence with her smile.

"Excellent work, Dr. Katzenkauf." Callie beamed as she shook Alice's right paw vigorously. "I believe that the upcoming launch will prove successful. I will send word for its shipment a week before the final launch."

MegaKat Salvage Yard: 05:17 PM

The metal grind of heavy chains lifts an electromagnet upward, attracting with it almost five tons of scrap metal. It could have made a strain in the ears of almost any kat, though in Jake Clawson's case he was used to the sound of machinery, knowing he has endured sounds much louder than the crane. The engine roared tirelessly, shaking the inner workings of the controls that cause the entire crane to vibrate slightly along with Jake's whole body. With his right paw on the control stick, Jake maneuvers the magnet towards the right and over the opening of a large compactor. He pressed the button on the right thumb side of the control stick, causing the power coursing through the magnet to cease, releasing the pile of metal into the compactor. After that, Jake returns the magnet back to the pile to take the leftover scrap to be filled again. It was almost a constant routine for Jake that he could do it with his eyes closed. Jake pulls the lever on his left paw; the magnet drops onto the pile and pressed the button on the control lever. Immediately the magnetic charge attracts the steel I-beams and repeats the process until the compactor is filled. Jake waits for the magnet to attract enough metal for a minute then pulls the lever again to lift the pile when the chains shook the whole crane violently and the engine begins to shrill. Cutting off the power before anything else goes wrong, Jake jumps out of the cockpit and approaches the junk that was sent from Puma-Dyne.

"What the hell?" Jake breathes out as he inspects the pile. "What do they have in here? Do they have a two-hundred-ton cyborg elephant stashed under it?"

Jake was about to return to the garage to get a flashlight when the sun's rays busts its orange light under the debris and casting a long shadow right on front of him. Thinking it will be a perfect chance even for a few minutes, he bends over to see what sort of object that was weighing down the electromagnet. It took a few minutes for the sun's rays to position itself through the crisscrossing of long pieces of metal blocking his view until Jake finds a nearly dulled metal plate. Jake couldn't help but wonder what it could be as he returns to the crane's control cockpit and presses the ignition switch. The engines rumble to life as he reaches for the small knob located under the many indicators that covers the entire panel and turns it counter-clockwise. Once he thinks it's enough, he grips the control stick and maneuvers the magnet again. The electric current running through the magnet was lowered enough to attract some of the metal pieces off. Jake guides the magnet to a clearing and releases the load, causing a heavy clatter of metal to ring in his ears. Then he peers through the window to see what sort of surprise that was buried. His eyes widened in bewilderment and began to breathe heavily as he jumps out of the cockpit. Running towards the pile and climbing over it, Jake thought his eyes were playing tricks on him as he knelt down on one knee over the large object and drags his left paw to wipe off the smooth surface covered in soot. Gritting his teeth, he runs back to the garage.

"I can't believe it. It's impossible." Jake breathes. The tingling around the back of his neck continued to send shivers up and down from his neck down to the tip of his tail as he arrives at the back of the repair area. The Jake opens a rusted old locker that was larger than the conventional ones behind the drums of used oil. As Jake enters the locker, his right paw instinctively reaches for the switch hanging above his head and flicks it with his index finger. Instantly, the inside of the dark locker was filled with a bright red light and the bottom part of the locker begins to descend, slowly at first until the drop increased in speed with the feeling that he was falling from the sky. It only took a few seconds to reach into an underground lair, where Jake has sworn that he will never enter again for the rest of his nine lives. Eyes constricted in deep thought, Jake jumps off before the platform lands into a slow stop only a few feet from the ground and dashes towards the drawers where he has spent months designing weapons and upgrades as the lights inside automatically blinks to life. Digging his way through the rolls of tracing paper, Jake reads each label and when he finds the wrong one he throws it to the ground. Thirty minutes later, the area around Jake were littered with papers and even some tools until he finds the one he was looking for hidden deep under one of the many large boxes beside the drafting board. He removes the rubber band holding the tracing paper in place and spreads it over the drafting board. The single light that keeps blinking adds to the distress that was crushing him; pondering on the question of why does Puma-Dyne have such a turbine engine. He knows a design that he had spent time in designing, knowing that it was supposed to be a modification upgrade for the Turbo Kat for space travel.


	6. Chapter 06

Chapter 06

ESACC Virtual Flight Simulation Facility: 6:00 AM, Wednesday, September 11

Within the walls covered with white plaster, the simulation facility hums to life as technicians and computer programmers worked on each of the ten simulator pods that will be used for today's virtual flight session. About less than ten feet away, twenty he and she-kats, all rookies from ESACC were lined up in the same manner as the flight simulators. They kept their sights towards Lieutenant Chance Furlong in his Enforcer jetfighter jumpsuit. Striding left to right in front of them, Chance made sure that they were all in their best disciplined behavior, knowing that this will be their last virtual session before being given actual flight lessons. Grinning in his thoughts, Chance could almost understand the kind of anxiety coursing through their veins, causing their muscles to tense up and knowing the true acceleration they will feel being in a fighter jet at Mach Three as he allows the feeling to absorb deep within them. They all have been waiting for this day. While almost most of them were not able to sleep, it was the excitement that kept fueling their bodies with renewed vigor.

Standing behind Chance was their other flight instructor, Lieutenant Felina Feral. She, too, know how it feels to be up in the air for the first time.

Chance lifts his right wrist and checks his watch. It was now twenty minutes after six AM. Chance feels it was now a good time to begin.

"Before we begin, I would like to congratulate you all for enduring the last twelve weeks of hell." Chance smiles a bit as he waited for the others to react. It has been kind of hell, knowing that they are all here to become pilots not for fun, but something even greater than shooting down an enemy aircraft. "It's been long and hard, though I know some of you have died in a virtual sense," Chance eyes some of the guilty ones as they smirked, "but once you are out there in the sky, you will know that flying is something like driving. You are driving a ten-million-dollar car with wings, a turbine, and weapons that doesn't include a baseball bat in the trunk for protection!" Almost all the Enforcers laughed.

Chance cleared his throat and continued, knowing that a little humor would relax them a bit. "Today's final drill is to recognize yourself within a life-threatening situation that requires quick thinking and kat reflexes that we are all endowed with. We will conduct a series of flight simulations that puts you within an enemy zone where you will be facing five SAM sites and five anti-aircraft cannons. Your objective is to outmaneuver the incoming hostile fire without destroying any one of them. Simulation duration will be two hours."

Everyone's eyes were fixed towards Chance's instructions, eager to test their evasion skills in virtual combat.

"For now, I will be the first to demonstrate to you how it's done. Though the enemy computers will always control the SAM sites, it doesn't mean that the cannons will behave in a way without any kat reasoning. Lieutenant Feral here will be the one to control the cannons."

After that, Chance walks towards the simulator and jumps into it. Inside, a single red bulb was the only source of light inside the cockpit as Chance fastens the belts around his body. Inside, he begins reaching for the numerous switches and buttons on the control panel, flicking and pressing almost every one of them. The panoramic screen around him slowly lit up and displays a computer-generated airstrip as the sound of turbines roared to life.

"This is T-Bone, over." Chance calls from under his oxygen mask and receiver. The speakers inside his Enforcer helmet hissed with a voice coming in from the simulated flight tower.

"Roger that, lieutenant. We will now begin simulation. Your distance from the target will be at five-hundred kilometers."

Then Chance places his left paw over the speed throttle near his left thigh and shoves it forward. The inner working and hydraulics that held the simulator pod begins its work, making Chance believe that he was now actually taking off as the engines behind him screamed even louder. Within seconds, his virtual fighter jet took off from the runway. A virtual yellow circle in front of the cockpit indicated his waypoint on where he was supposed to go as he shifts the control stick a little to the left. Within seconds, a small island appeared in the distance.

"Are you ready, lieutenant?" Chance breathes over his mask.

Outside, Felina was sitting on one of the computers across the rows of simulator pods while the rookies gathered in front of the single holo-projector in front of the simulator pods.  With her hand over the joystick, Felina felt like she was playing a video game and answers, "Roger that. Come and get through me if you can."

"That's gonna be easy, lieutenant." Chance smirked under his mask. With a rousing yell, he shoves the control stick for a slow nosedive and lets out a rousing yell. "Here I come!"

The TRS, or Threat Sensors, began flashing in front of his targeting array. The plane's onboard computer confirmed that Chance's plane was being locked on target by a nearby SAM site. Chance checks the targeting screen above the instruments console and confirmed two missiles headed his way, trying to catch him in a crossfire. The numbers indicating on each dot represents each missile and showing that Chance has a few seconds before impact. Chance sets his eyes through the canopy and spotted the two computer-generated missiles where one was under it. The collision alarm from the computer sped up as he pushes the control stick downwards and slightly to the right, executing a double roll barrel and easily eluded the two missiles. Everything spun around as he watches the missiles flying past him. Outside, the rookies watching the screen cheered for their lieutenant.

"Is that the best you got?" Chance laughs.

Felina grins as she saw the two missiles missing its mark. "I just gave you level one of my skills, lieutenant." Felina began tapping some commands on the computer to allow the anti-aircraft cannons on auto target when she felt something tapping over her left shoulder. She looks up over her left shoulder and stares towards the one who was interrupting her and noticed a grease-stained blue coverall near the rib area. Felina's eyes widened and her lips beamed as the unexpected visitor places a finger over his lips. Felina understood the gist as she spoke over the headset.

"This is it, lieutenant. Your greatest challenge yet."

Chance was now at the middle of the large virtual island as he grins, knowing he was right in the middle of the perimeter defenses and in danger of being shot down. In a few seconds, the computer screams again as Chance watches the TRS come to life. This time, it was a cluster of nine missiles headed his way in almost all directions in front of him. Thinking that Felina was not the type do anything this desperate, for once Chance humors her as he pulls the control stick back and the jet began to climb higher. He pushes the throttle up the very end though he knows that he will not be able to feel the force of acceleration. The digital speedometer began increasing in numbers as well as the altimeter. The hydraulics began to shake the pod, simulating that his plane was in danger of falling apart in very high altitude. Chance began praying for the plane to hold on for a few seconds. Now using his instincts, Chance pulls the stick one more time to bring the jet upside down and to a nosedive followed by a spin. The speedometer began to register that he was now flying at nearly mach two and the cockpit began to shake even harder.

"Just a little more, baby!" Chance breathes through his teeth. The computers began to wail, telling Chance that he's in danger of his engines stalling if he does not pull the control stick up. Chance realized that the collision alarm were already turned off a few seconds ago as checks the sensor array, thinking that the cluster of missiles were already off the mark as the dots were no longer visible. Just when Chance could release his breath as he pulls the stick to guide the plane in a straight path, the cockpit shook violently as Chance watches the barrage of bright dots shoots past and through him. Realizing that he was now being peppered by anti-aircraft fire, Chance curses himself for being tricked by taking a nosedive while still in the middle of the island. Deep in his mind, Chance knows that this is only a simulated flight, yet his instincts could never forget about the sense of survival as he grabbed the control stick with both hands as well as wondering how Felina became so good as a shooter. The system fail indicators began to fill his ears and his control stick became less responsive. Chance's eyes widened in horror as he watches one lone missile headed straight towards the canopy. The pod shook violently as the screens faded to black. A large sign scrolling from the right said 'Mission Failed'.

That was good, Felina, Chance thought while removing the mask off his face.

After a moment of silence, Chance stretched his left paw over for the large red button near his right shoulder and shoving it hard with his palm. The pod canopy hisses with air pressure and slides open, Chance emerges out while removing the helmet off his head. Though Chance failed to demonstrate evasive maneuvers, his ears still filled with the cheers of his squad trainees shouting out his call sign repeatedly. Pulling himself outside, he began to scan the area for Felina and spots her standing next to the pod he was using.

"Where did you learn that strategy, lieutenant?" Chance asks as he smiles a bit.

"Not me, lieutenant." Felina answers as she points towards the direction where the computer she was using a few minutes ago stood. Chance shifts his sights towards that computer and slowly his eyes began to open widely, spotting a familiar faded blue coverall sitting behind the computer. For Chance Furlong, he could have shed tears of joy as he jumps out of the pod and approaches the kat who was responsible for blowing him out of the computer-generated sky. It might have been time and fate that allowed Chance to see his former partner as he approached him. Jake continues to stare blankly at the computer screen, his hands still gripping at the joystick.

"Jake?" Chance called as he approached the computers.

Jake still kept silent in the seat as if he was trying to ignore his friend's voice. Everyone in the building could only whisper to each other, wondering if this was the same kat who used to save the city with their lieutenant.

"How you doing, pal?" Chance spoke though his voice sounds sullen.

Jake nodded somewhat at Chance but his eyes still refuses to stare squarely at Chance. "Just doing fine. You?"

"In the middle of training cadets, as you can see." Chance looks over his shoulder towards the rookies.

The two friends fell silent for almost five minutes as Felina observes them. Wondering if the tension brewing between Chance and Jake were the result of her own cautious nature or simply that there are issues needed to be discussed between the two, Felina broke the silence as she approached Chance at his left side and whispered in his ear.

"Chance, why don't you two take Jake in your office. I'll take over for now."

Chance shifts his eyes towards Felina as he nods briefly. Then he turns to Jake. "Why don't we talk in my office? We have a lot of catching up to do. What do you say, bud?"

Chance stretches out his hand to Jake as he waits for a response. Jake stares at the hand first, then to the rather friendly look painting over Chance's face. Without taking the hand, Jake stood up from the chair and left the area ahead of Chance.

"Wait up, buddy!" Chance calls from behind as he runs to Jake's side. Along the way, a couple of Enforcers salutes Chance as he passes through the corridors leading to the elevators. They boarded one of the empty elevators as the Enforcer guarding near the doors salutes him. The doors slid shut as Chance pressed the button leading to the fifth floor. They stood inside the elevator in silence while Chance kept stealing glances from Jake several times, trying to read Jake's mind of the purpose of his sudden visit. Maybe Jake decides to join him, he thought. Though knowing his old-time partner, there must be a much deeper meaning hidden here; something that neither thoughts nor speculation alone could unravel a complicated mind like Razor, the call sign that Jake used to call himself.

The pull of gravity under them slowly disappears as the electronic bell chimed inside, signaling that they have reached the fifth floor. The doors slid open as the two kats exited the elevator. They walked through a short corridor leading to a window-paned door with Chance's name written over it. Chance's secretary stands up as she watched his superior and a visitor entering the office.

"Welcome back, lieutenant." The secretary greets.

"Thank you, Miss Coleridge. Could you bring in two cartons of milk for me and my visitor?"

Coleridge nodded as Chance opens the door to his office and the two kats entered. Inside, Jake inspects the area as well as pulling the end of the curtain where the view of inside the hangar is seen from below.

"It gets noisy here whenever the engineers conduct engine tests that I have to put the TV volume so high that I've been missing several phone calls from…"

Jake raises his open hand to Chance to cut him off. "I'll cut to the chase, Chance. Though I'm no longer part of anything involved with the Enforcers or the government or anything else, the only thing that they could do for me in return is not to bother me."

Chance stood stiffly as he heard Jake's statement. "What do you mean, buddy?"

"A few words:" Jake raises his index finger at Chance. "Turbine Prototype 'XOTS-5000'."

"The what?" Chance shot a bewildered look at Jake.

Whether Jake should believe on Chance's ignorance or not, he shook his head and exhales. "When that Testing Facility in Puma-Dune got burned to the ground and sent their junk to me, I found an exact replica of the experimental prototype I was working on over a year ago. I dismantled it and guess what, it was an actual working prototype, not some cheap plastic hobby kit in some toyshop! How in the world did they get their hands on my design?"

Chance watched Jake as he breathes hard through his mouth, never in Chance's life that he found Jake so agitated regarding about a possible stolen design. A knock came to the door as the secretary's voice came through, telling Chance that she has brought refreshments.

"Not now, Miss Coleridge!" Chance yelled at the door from behind his desk. Then he shifts his sights to Jake. "Listen, Jake, I don't know how those people in Puma-Dyne got your designs and all that. Maybe it was a coincidence or something…"

Jake raised his hand to silence Chance. "Don't throw that coincidence crap on me, Chance! You know well as I that that engine and every little nut and bolt that's keeping it in one piece is to be used for the Turbo Kat!"

Upon seeing Jake burning with rage, Chance slowly slumps back on his chair and fell silent. Chance knew that it was risky and Jake will find out one of these days. Forced to choose upon his duty and friendship, he stood up from his chair and approached Jake. He decides to give him an answer.

"It's not my idea in the first place, Jake. I warned them that taking your design was a bad idea. You know the kind of bureaucrats at Puma-Dyne and Callie's office. They've been holding their breath on this upcoming project and we just need something to make it successful."

As if one part of Jake's life died the moment he hears Chance's explanation, his breathing felt shallow. But his right arm shook almost uncontrollably to the core. Without waiting for Chance to explain even further, Jake's left paw grabbed the lapel of Chance's jumpsuit and throws his right fist clear against Chance's lower jaw. The force of impact caused Chance to be flown almost off his feet as he crashes onto his desk; his arms swept clear across the desk and knocking off items to the floor. Chance thought he must have had that coming to him, no doubt as he turns his sights at Jake exhausted in anger.

"You stay the hell away from me or the scrap yard." Jake breathes through his snarling teeth.

It was Chance's turn to flare up as he grabs Jake by the lapels of his coveralls with both paws and almost lifting Jake off his feet.

"Listen to yourself!" Chance shouts right in front of Jake's face. "If I had things my way, I won't even have you on the list! I would never order any enforcer or allow any of those dirt bags from the MBI to even touch you so don't pin this one on me!"

Chance continued, this time releasing his left paw off Jake's coverall lapel. "Three years ago, you and I agreed to keep the city out of danger that's why I helped you made the Turbo Kat! I know that being vigilantes are going to put us in trouble, but hell yeah it was worth it! Ever since we failed to save Manx and we agreed to use lethal force. Somehow we managed to turn the tides of the war on our heads and when you decide to end it all by dismantling the Torbo Kat, you're about to screw me up from being a pilot. You owe me this one, Jake. You know that."

Jake glowers at Chance as he swings his arms over Chance's to release him from the grip. After landing to the ground, Jake picks up his cap that was lying on the floor and turns to face the door.

"You're right, Chance." Jake breathes out, trying to maintain his cool. "but know this, the Turbo Kat was MY design and every bit of gadgets that we used came from my hands. I had a childish dream because I wasn't able to live up my dream to become an ace pilot. Heck, maybe I couldn't make the cut anyway!" Jake turns to face Chance at the corner of his eyes as the pupils narrowed. His left paw was now holding on the doorknob. "But the SWAT Kats is originally MY operation. Don't you ever DARE tell me that my inventions were going to give kat-kind a sense of hope and all that. You destroyed my trust, Chance. Don't expect me to give it back to you even if you wait for your entire nine lives."

Without waiting for Chance to explain himself, Jake opens the door and slams it shut behind him. Chance could only watch him as he stares through the door as he wallows into his guilt, now totally far worse than having to have argued with Jake when he decided to dismantle the Turbo Kat over a year ago. Deep in his mind, he has to get the message through Jake's thick skull. Barging out of the office to try to catch up on Jake, his feet froze the moment a female voice calls upon him. Chance turns around, finding Felina drinking the extra carton of milk that Chance's secretary have brought with her a few minutes ago.

"What happened, Chance?" Felina asked as she drank. "I just saw Jake stormed out of the office the moment I thought I heard him throw a right hook hard across your jaw."

Chance rubbed his jaw as he stared hard at Felina. "This is none of your business, Felina. This is between me and Jake here."

Felina scoffs as she shook her head. "You mean to say that this is between T-Bone and Razor?"

Chance stiffens somewhat. "It's nothing like that, Felina. It's exactly not my idea of a warm reunion." Then Chance changed the subject. "You know how important this project is to the Enforcers and to the whole of MegaKat City."

"I'm aware of that." Felina nods, yet something kept holding her back. "Yet, the last thing this project needs is for someone to spill his guts just for the sake of saving a friendship. You know that this is a top secret project that we're conducting. This is way above our heads, not even to Commander Feral or the mayor."

Chance looks at the long hallway and watches the lights above the elevator door lit up, showing that the elevator was descending to the first floor.

"You better straighten your priorities, Chance." Felina reminded as her eyes began to tremble with worry.


	7. Chapter 07

Chapter 07

Downtown MegaKat City: Thursday late evening

The cold winds of autumn swoops down within the hollowed streets of Korel and Fifth, looking dejected even under the many neon signs of establishments with more or less than reputable services for those looking for cheap thrills. Parked cars lined up on both sides of the street as several kats pass by staggering like ships in a storm. One kat that had too much to drink crosses the street, trying to beat an upcoming fire red muscle car passing by. He could only stare at the car blowing its horn as both kat and machine screeched to a halt in a stalemate as the drunken kat slams his left paw over the hood.

"I'm walking here, moron!" The kat yelled as he staggers away.

Jake could only shake his head slowly as he swings his right arm and signaling the kat to move on. He could only watch the kat from the rearview mirror as he drove away. Jake continued to drive across the next block until he arrives at a small bar near a local laundromat. He parks his car two spots from the place and emerges out from his seat. Before checking the pleats of his dark brown cotton jacket, Jake first heads to the hood of the car and checks if that kat left anything that could disfigure the paint or the hood itself. Nothing was found as he slides his fingers between the pleats of his jacket and heads for the bar. Inside, several kats with their partners or friends occupied several booths, engaging themselves in talk and drinks. A few loners took a spot in one of the stools facing the bar as well as the television showing a late telecast of a ballgame. A mustached barkeeper wiping a beer mug with a clean table napkin nods at Jake as he squeezes through the tables and booths that filled the place. The lights inside were bright enough as he spots the booth with a lone she-kat sitting inside. She wore a tight-fitting evening dress with the shoulders almost exposed and much of the back was almost plunged near the upper waist. Her short blonde hair was combed to the back that hung in wet waves while a few strands covered her forehead. On her right hand held a glass of martini while her eyes followed on Jake's approach.

"You're ten minutes late." Callie said with her lips near the rim of the glass.

"Sorry." Jake bends over to Callie's side to give her a peck on the lips. "Almost played 'chicken' with some walking drunk just now." Jake inches closer to Callie's eyes and noticed she was not wearing her signature glasses and asks her about it.

"I thought I should wear contact lenses for a change." Callie shot him a wink followed by a soft smile. "Does it look good on me?"

Jake tightened his lips to a smile. "I could've sworn that you're not that she-kat who's running the city."

A brunette waitress approached Jake with a notepad and pen in both paws, asking Jake for his order. Jake ordered a martini as well and requested for a glass of water to be brought in first. The waitress returned after taking Jake's order with a glass of iced water on the tray and Jake started drinking.

"By the way," Callie began after taking the last drop of her drink and ordered for another one, "I've heard that you've been causing some trouble at the ESACCS this morning."

Jake could only stare stiffly at her as the brunette waitress brought in their drinks. "Who told you that?"

Callie hums for a bit, trying to act coy. "It was Felina Feral."

Jake scoffs as he takes a small bite out of the olive followed by a sip in his martini.

"You shouldn't have done that, Jake. Do you think that almost punching the lights out of Chance whenever you two see each other would be some sort of trend?"

Jake shakes his head slowly. "He had that coming and he knows that. I'm just giving in on what he was expecting. After telling me that he gave my design to Puma-Dyne and started working on a prototype, why shouldn't I get angry at him?"

The music inside the bar changed to another sultry tone. With another gulp in Jake's glass, he signals the waitress to bring him a scotch on the rocks.

"I suppose, but I think that you're just being childish."

Jake glowers at the candle on the table. "Yeah, right. Tell that to Fat Head."

Callie could only cross her eyebrows at Jake for the comment. Thinking that this feud would only last as long as Jake still has his nine lives intact, she decides to give him something to ponder about.

"Well, with the subject still at hand, how much do you know about the launch?"

With one eyebrow raised, Jake thought it was something unexpected.

"Well," Jake began in a rather vague manner, "I know that the first launch was about over a month ago, then there's gonna be another launch some time this month."

Callie nods a bit. "Yes. The upcoming monitoring space station will be held this Friday and I can trust you not to tell anyone about it." At that point, Callie felt a strange hollow sensation in her gut that almost held her lips tight. But she must tell her this or otherwise either one of them is going to regret it in the future. "Any idea who's going to be in it?"

Releasing his breath, Jake places a finger over Callie's lips to stop her. "Listen, I don't want to talk about anything 'Enforcer' related. I called you up just to enjoy being with you tonight. Is that okay? I wouldn't care if it were Commander Feral up there in a two-hundred-ton tuna can floating in space. At least the city's gonna enjoy a few months of peace without him."

Slowly, Jake releases his finger off Callie's lips as she watches him staring softly over Callie's eyes. In that moment, Jake pressed his lips over the smooth edges along Callie's neck down to her napes. Callie lets out a distracted moan as she wrapped her left arm around Jake's neck. Callie knows that the news she was about to give to Jake is important, knowing that the tiff he had with Chance will be the last time Jake will ever have whether he likes it or not before Chance boards the last space shuttle to the Kat's Eye. In some ways, knowing how much Jake spent his morning to see Chance after more than a year, Callie somehow thought it would be enough just to keep the old memories alive within Jake; something that will one day overcome the newer memories that were yet to be.

MegaKat Sewers: Same evening.

The only light that enters within the dark tunnels were the light from the streets outside, piercing through the holes of many sewer lids all over the city. Broods of rats and other insects scuttle along the banks of streams of sewage in search for anything edible. Their possible meal was interrupted by a sharp scream that echoed all over the tunnels, causing them to scatter away squeaking. Nearby, the sounds of running footsteps and the ripples of sewage water grew even more and instantly the sewers were cleared.

A creature of reptilian skin ran desperately to avoid something that even terrified him for the first time. He stumbles and tries to crawl away, his tattered lab coat left traces of greenish stains that begins to dry up to a mossy green within contact with the air. He knows his right arm will grow back, but how long before his pursuer decides to finish him off. He knows every artery of the sewers as he randomizes his path of escape, but even then his pursuer manages to cut him off. What terrified him the most is the glowing left eye that emits a strange energy that costs him his right arm, now a stump inside an armless right sleeve that wafts away from behind. After a few more minutes, he stops to a dead end where a single heavy door was located and barred with heavy chains. Hopefully his pursuer will not be able to trace him this far.

"How long are you going to keep running, old man?"

The female voice instantly began to send shivers up and down his spine. Realizing that he was no match for her, he would rather risk being killed by the Enforcers on the surface rather than being an unwitting pawn in her game. Just before he could reach the sewer lid with his left hand, he watched as the she-kat's eyes glowed to a fiery red and a long beam of light cuts through his wrist. Screaming in pain, the she-kat approaches the creature as he kneels down over the sewer water, unable to place a grip on either bloody stump.

"Do you know why I let you live for now, Dr. Viper? Because what I'm going to do to you is far worse than what I will do to this city once the time comes unless you decide to join me."

Dr. Viper could only watch her as he kept his knees to the ground. "I tell you, you… witch," Dr. Viper hissed. "I would rather die than risk my own life in doing your bidding!"

The silhouette started to laugh coldly as if she was enjoying the cries of suffering and fear. "I was also thinking about that, but you serve a far greater purpose that fits in my plans. Who knows, maybe you will find it enjoyable to wreak havoc in MegaKat City once again."

Though the temptation kept shifting the sides of his answer to a yes, the reality kept pulling back the weights of his reluctance. "Even if I did, I don't have enough katalyst to even send a single deadly cold to a kat."

Dr. Viper could only watch the silhouetted she-kat as she stood silently in the darkness, only her left eye glowed.

"If I find what you desire, will you help me?" The cold voice said. "Or should I just shoot you in a place where it doesn't grow back."

Slowly, Dr. Viper raises on his feet as he shoots an angry and painful scowl at the she-kat. He knows he has no choice in the matter as his head nods briskly. "Before anything else, just who are you anyway?"

The she-kat's left eye brew to a bright red. "Let's just say, I will be the new ruler of the world. But if you must know, I am Sphinx."

2:40 AM

Whizzing past the tall buildings, Callie still was unable to get used on Jake's car. Though time and again that her training if evasive maneuvers on the road did pay off, they must have failed to consider the types of cars that Callie needs to get used to aside from her green sedan. Jake mumbles to himself, humming a tune from the music that they were listening in the bar.

"You know, Jake, if you're planning to drink a lot then I should have brought my regular glasses." Callie mumbled as she grips on the steering wheel of Jake's classic '66 DK Turbo 500, or the Desert Kat Turbo 500. Though the rack and pinion steering of Jake's muscle car were light in her arms, it was the power of the engine that kept her pulse increasing every time she steps on the gas.

Jake slumps silently in the front seat, as his head lie motionless. "Sorry about that, Callie. I guess I had a little too much to drink." Callie could only shaker her head at him as she smiles a bit.

Callie led the car through the industrial sector of MegaKat City, knowing that it was a shortcut that led to her home in Winchester Avenue as she drove through the street. Everywhere she looks, this part of the city had a haunting feel to it, probably more than the dark corners that Puma-Dyne could provide. She makes a left turn after the fifth block through Ellis Street and slows down at the intersection to check if there are cars passing through. The traffic lights continued to blink at yellow and thinking that it is safe, she pushes the gas pedal and the car almost hitched off by its back wheels. After five minutes of driving through a straight line of road, her eyes spot a lone structure with its lights hanging over the sign above the entrance.

The MegaKat Biochemical Lab once had a reputation as Callie could still remember. It was where Elrod Purvis became known as Dr. Viper when she and the former mayor visited in the morning to see the results of the new chemical that they were working on. In her nervous state, she slowly pressed her foot down on the gas pedal as the car began to gain speed. But before she could run pass the building, a powerful shock wave began to stir the air around their surroundings and soon the windows of the building shatters and spews shards of glass. Callie screamed, much to Jake's shock as she twists the steering wheel hard to the left when the raining shards of glass began to scratch off the paint all over the car. Ahead of them was a steel lamppost and the car continued to careen straight towards it, Callie raised both her arms and she prepares for impact. Instinctively, Jake reaches his left paw and grabbed the steering wheel, turning it towards the right. The car shook violently with an ear shattering screeching of metal as the left side of the car scratched against the lamppost. Without taking time for deep breaths, Jake immediately rushed to Callie's side and held her.

"Callie! Are you all right?" Jake breathes as he held Callie by the shoulders. She could only moan as Jake immediately jumps out of the car and ran around to the driver's seat. A chill ran through his spine for every time he tries to pry open the door, but the impact caused the locks in the door to malfunction. Thinking that there was no other way and breaking the window on the door would be dangerous, Jake ran back to the other side of the door and grabbed the car keys in the steering wheel. Under the light of the lamppost, he opens the trunk and immediately threw out the tools and the spare tire under the mat until he finds a large box hidden under the spare tire compartment. Jake immediately opens the box and slips a glove almost shaped like a gauntlet in his right paw and pressed a button on the top part of the wrist. It hummed to life and when Jake pressed the desired button, a small buzz saw emerged from the opening of its box-like frame. The serrated disk spun to life as he guides it near the hinges of the door.

"Just hang on, Callie!" Jake yelled under the noise of cutting metal. In a few seconds, both hinges were cut loose and Jake was able to yank the door open using the Glovatrix's mini-motors that enhances the strength of his paws. Callie slowly begins to stir from her abrupt slumber as Jake carts her away from the car and towards the front steps of a textile plant entryway.

"Are you hurt somewhere?" Jake shudders as he lay Callie on the floor.

"Hurt my head a little." Callie uttered. Jake opens his eyes in horror the moment a small stream of blood crept from Callie's upper left brow and spreading almost all over the fur near Callie's left cheek up to the thumb of his Glovatrix. All he could do for now is lift her head up and pressed it over his chest and sobs. The surrounding slowly grew brighter not from the stars under the sky, but Jake noticed that the Biochemical Lab was on fire from the top floors. Distant sounds of sirens slowly grew louder as Jake carefully placed Callie's head and covering her body with his jacket to keep her warm. Looking up towards the smoldering building, Jake fixed his sights at the top and tried to figure out what, or who could have done this. After a few moments, his eyes opened widely and noticed slivers of skin from the light of the flames; a part of one whole female body standing on the top looking down on Jake with her glowing left eye as she carried a large case with her right paw.

"What the hell is that?" Jake uttered to himself.

Both Jake and the mysterious intruder kept their eyes on each other, trying to read each other's thoughts. But his anger slowly began to brew inside Jake, clenching his gloved paw to the point that he could almost crush it. Pressing another button on the Glovatrix with his right paw, the top part of the slowly began to rise and revealed a pylon of mini-stingers as he aims it towards the figure. Just before he could apply enough pressure on the Glovatrix's sensors, his jaw drops when the intruder's left eye began to flash. Instinctively, All of Jake's fingers pressed the sensors simultaneously that the mini-stingers were retracted and triangular plates fused together from the Glovatrix to create a shield. Bracing himself from what might be a laser shot, the she-kat's eye shoots a pulse of light towards Jake. The shield as well as Jake's arm shoves him off his feet, but not enough for the shield to withstand the projectile. As he falls on his back, the laser shot that pierced through the shield finds its mark, punching through Jake's left shoulder blade. Jake's face twisted in pain as he falls, loosing his senses around the arms as he lands hard on the pavement. Every second passed felt like years to Jake as he slowly nudged his head towards the unconscious Callie, wondering if this will be the last time he will ever see her again. The soft sounds of sirens that were filling his ears some minutes ago seem evident around him as numerous footsteps and shouts scrambled all around. Cursing himself for his own recklessness, Jake could only close his eyes, allowing the tears to fall off his eyes and himself to set off into a world where he could never wake up, thinking that Callie might forgive him for failing to protect her.


	8. Chapter 08

Chapter 08

Manx Memorial Hospital: 7:21 AM, Friday, September 13. Ten hours and forty-nine minutes before launch.

It was supposed to be Commander Ulysses Feral's longest day, and the last thing he needs right now is a media circus. Pushing through the crowd of media people, spotting Ann Gora among them, he and a few Enforcers head towards the room where Mayor Calico Briggs is being admitted. Feral dodges several outstretched hands holding microphones at his face with his free left paw while being cooed by them. Knowing that it will be a long time before he was being left alone to do any work, he turns around to face them.

Ann Gora was the first to speak. "Commander Feral. Is it true that there is a new menace on a rampage in MegaKat City? Will the mayor be able to recover after the recent attack on MegaKat Biochemical? There has been a report that the mayor has been seeing someone for the past few months and knowing that she will not disclose any information concerning this mysterious tom."

Turning his left lazy eye on Ann Gora, Feral decides to give her what he needs just to keep the reporters off his back, but not so much as to jeopardize the investigation, but was surprised to hear Ann's question concerning her love life. "The doctor told me that Mayor Briggs will recover soon enough and there are no other risks in her. The attack on MegaKat Biochemical is only the result of a possible arsonist who might have had a grudge against that facility. As long as the case is still being investigated, my Enforcers will make sure to put a stop to his maniacal crimes. As for the mayor's personal life," Feral pauses for a few seconds while the reporters posed their microphones and Dictaphones at him, "it's not for me to know and surely like it's any of my business."

Without waiting for anyone to ask more questions, Feral lowers his head to his sergeant's ear and whispered. The tough tom with a color of light dusty fur nods and raised his hands towards the people to catch their attention. Several Enforcers on call began to move up in front of the media people and slowly driving them back to the exit; the continued barrage of questions continued to shoot past them. After a few minutes, the silence returned to the hospital and left only for the use of its personnel and patients admitted into it. Feral continued to walk straight through the corridor for several feet and stops at the door guarded by two Enforcers. They saluted to their superior officer and the Enforcer on the left side opens the door for Feral.

Inside, a doctor and nurse were also in the room as Callie, looking nothing like she did last night and wearing a thin, papery gown over her, stares blankly through them as she sat on the bed with her legs bent upwards and both her arms wrapped around them. A white patch of thin layers of gauze over Callie's left eyebrow gave evidence of the one hour of suturing the gash. Lowering his sights under Callie's eyes is a small patch of black and blue. Despite of the positive prognosis the doctor is giving Callie, Feral couldn't help but notice a small dribble of tears on both her eyes. After a few moments, the doctor faced Feral and nods at him, giving him permission to speak with the patient. Nodding at the doctor as an approximation of thanks, Feral pulls up a chair and sits beside the bed.

"How are you feeling, mayor?" Feral asks.

Callie continued to stare blankly through the wall. "Just stop it, Feral. I want to know how Jake is doing."

Feral draws a long sigh. "I don't think that's a good idea for now. You know how people talk about these things especially those who also work here."

Callie fixes a sharp stare at Feral as she raised her head. "I don't care about that one, Feral. Since when did you get to be my publicist?"

Feral stops for a minute, observing the glare in Callie's eyes when a knock came through the door in Callie's room. Feral stands up from the chair, his eyes frowned, knowing that he gave specific instructions about letting unauthorized people near the door. The door swings open to reveal two she-kats in lab coats and one face drawn with worry. Feral softens somewhat as he allowed Doctors Sinian and Katzenkauf in the room.

"Are you okay, Callie?" Abby sits on the bed as she wraps right arm around Callie's shoulders. Alice Katzenkauf stood next to Feral.

"I'm okay, Dr. Sinian. But they wouldn't even tell me how Jake was doing. They wouldn't even let me see him." Callie spoke, yet her voice cracked.

A sense of guilt began to hover around Feral as he watches two pairs of eyes from Sinian and Katzenkauf staring at him. Cursing in his mind, Feral tucks his cane under his armpits and reaches for the door. Feral knows that he was no match for three she-kats when they all think that he was a heartless tom who never had to worry about having a loved one recuperating in a hospital.

"Jake is in Room 307 on the third floor. I'll tell the Enforcers to let you in but for only thirty minutes." Those were Feral's conditions.

Callie's face brightens a bit as Abby took a bathrobe off the hook and wraps it over Callie. The three she-kats leaves the room after Callie ordering the Enforcers guarding her to remain behind when they were about to follow.

"I couldn't imagine the kind of luck you had if Jake wasn't with you." Abby spoke beside Callie as the three she-kats walked through the long hallway.

"Neither would I." Callie breathes out as she strides towards the elevators, her pace a little faster than normal as if nothing happened to her.

"But when Commander Feral mentioned the name Jake, did he mean Jake Clawson?" Abby asks. At that moment, Abby watches Callie as she held her breath slightly. The color of Callie's cheeks slowly rose and Abby understood the gist.

"Jake Clawson? I know him!" Came a voice from the two she-kats just behind them. They stopped to see a surprised Alice standing between the nurses' station and the door leading into the ICU Men's Ward.

"You know Jake Clawson?" Callie eyes Alice with a wondering look.

Brooding silence seem to emanate from Alice as Callie and Abby watches Alice from where she stood. "I thought that the Commander was mentioning somebody else named Jake until I remember that I had a classmate named Jake who I studied with in MCU. He joined the Enforcers after graduating."

Some strange feeling of emptiness began to stir inside Callie that held her back as she observes Alice in a she-kat's point of view. Whether or not that Alice was referring to 'her Jake', but knowing whether Jake was still alive or not was the first priority in Callie's mind as the three she-kats arrived at the elevator about to ascend to the upper floors. The flight took only a few moments and the three exited. Callie kept stealing glances from the tall she-kat, wondering what sort of things does Alice know about Jake back then. Ever since Callie and Jake made their relationship official only to themselves several months ago, she couldn't have imagined that there would be other she-kats in Jake's life. What sort of he-kat was he like back then?

Callie didn't need to count the numbers written over the doors when she spots another pair of Enforcers sitting down on chairs beside the door. The room was used solely for criminals who were unfortunate enough to sustain injuries and allowed to recuperate until fully healed, but the thought alone began to stir a negative impression upon Feral who placed Jake in that room. The two Enforcers were notified that there will be visitors, but knowing Mayor Briggs, she would probably ignore the thirty-minute limit set to them. The Enforcer guarding the left side near the knob pulls out a keycard attached to a retractable string and inserts it into the slot under the doorknob. The red dot of light blinked five times as it read the information encoded on the magnetic strip and in an instant it turned green. The lock's inner workings came to life with a simple click and the Enforcer opens the door. Callie's eyes widened as she sees an unconscious Jake lying on the bed. Various instruments almost crowded both sides of the bed as Callie listens to the beeps of an electrocardiograph in clockwork intervals, thinking that Jake will live. Bandages wrapping most of his chest brought a tear on Callie's eyes as she slowly entered the room along with Alice. Abby remained outside as the doors slid shut behind the two she-kats that entered. A single nurse in her Plexiglas booth stood up and greeted the two.

"How's his condition?" Callie asks the moment the nurse exited the booth.

"Mr. Clawson's case was a little more extraordinary at first. The puncture was caused by an unknown energy bolt that shot clear through his collarbone and shoulder blade, creating a hole about a quarter inch in diameter. He was fortunate to have survived, but given the case of his condition I would say he's now down to his eight lives. The doctor said that he'll be up and about in no time."

It wasn't exactly the kind of prognosis that Callie could have wanted to hear as she walked slowly towards Jake's bed. Looming over him, Callie watches Jake in every movement her eyes could catch as she listens to the sound of Jake's breathing through the nose tube that feeds his body with oxygen. Somehow, she still could never accept the fact that this was her lover, now lying down with nothing more than machines to help him recuperate where hours ago they could have been in bed together, like they always did for the past six months.

A small grunt coming from Jake started the two she-kats as they watched intently. Slowly, Jake begins to stir from a sleep he thought he could never get out from as his eyelids opens a crack, bringing in artificial light coming from the overhead fluorescent lamps in the room. With every second passing, to Callie it was a blessing to see Jake slowly returning into the world once again. After a few minutes of Jake struggling to free himself from the slumber, his eyes fly open, only to be greeted with Callie's as tears kept falling out from her eyes like a leaky faucet.

"Jake." Callie murmured.

It was the sound of Callie's voice that brought a smile on Jake's lips, though weak from the injury and exhaustion. Callie could have smothered him in her embrace, yet managed to retain her composure, probably it would cause some serious complications after all the things she heard from the nurse. His lips move, trying to call out Callie's name yet all that the two she-kats hear was Jake's throaty breath. Mustering all his strength, Jake attempts again.

"Callie…" Jake croaked, followed by a weak smile.

There were no words to describe the sense of relief that rushes all over Callie like a flood. Callie held Jake's hand, her thumb almost snagging the needle of the dextrose tube in his hand. After a few minutes of silence, Jake feels part of his strength returning to him as he lifts his head up and scans the room. Jake immediately notices the other she-kat, thinking that it might be the doctor that was watching over him. But as Jake kept his gaze at her, his eyes began to open more widely, noticing the shape of her eyes that seem to remind him of his past not too long ago. Pressing the green button near his right hand, the top area of the bed slowly begins to rise along with Jake from the waist up. The she-kat also brought a smile on Jake's lips as she responds in kind, finding it hard to believe that this was the same she-kat that Jake used to date back in college.

"Alice Katzenkauf? Allison?"

Alice couldn't help but waver at the sound of Jake's voice slowly clearing up as each second passes. To her, it seems that college was another life long ago, yet the gap between the past and the present was too small to be out of reach. The tall female geologist also approached the bed with nothing but a smile that irradiates a sense of old-time familiarity between them.

"Hello, Razor. Even in bed you're still as sharp as ever."

It was the kind of shock that brought a chill upon Callie's spine as she shifts her eyes towards Alice. How does she know about that name?

"Do you know who he really is?" Callie asks, her voice sounded distant.

Alice could only smile softly.

"It was a name I gave him back when we were studying at MCU. We were studying different courses back then. Jake was working on a degree in Aeronautical Engineering while I was stuck in Geology. We met when we were on the same classroom repeating Calculus 202 for some reasons or the other. I used to call him Razor back then, and he was pretty good with archery.

"But he likes to be at high places. After we graduated, he decided to become a pilot. I don't know if they allow call signs at the Enforcers so I suggested to call himself Razor if he ever becomes an Enforcer pilot."

ESACC Headquarters. Nine hours before launch.

Only the silence of an empty hangar that could be viewed outside his office windows that slowly drove Chance Furlong to a brink of momentary insanity. Touching the goose bumps of the football with his right hand, Chance kept staring at the ceiling as he lies down on the sofa. It has been a long time before he could remember having to hold a football, only at times that he would only hold one if he feels insecure or excited over something.

Chance Furlong has been waiting for this day in almost all his life as a pilot. Thinking that a kat could go as far as being able to rule the skies was enough, he thought that space was truly the final frontier. Whenever he closes his eyes, every muscle in his body would tense up, feeling the force of the rocket thrusters pushing him back against the seat of his craft. Once he flips the first tinted layer of his helmet, he could almost imagine (or even hallucinated) the darkness of space, untouched by the atmosphere of the earth as it remains motionless.

Less than nine hours to go he thought. In some ways, Chance had nothing to lose. He won't miss Commander Feral, though, but he had issues to clear up with the commander's niece, knowing that it could be a dangerous mission that anything can happen.

The intercom on his desk slices through Chances dream-like trance and back to reality. He jumps off the sofa and presses the button to allow the line in.

"Lieutenant Furlong. You have a call on line one." Chance's secretary announced.

"Who's on the line?"

"It's Lieutenant Feral."

Chance smiles a bit after thanking his secretary as he reaches for the receiver. He pressed the blinking red button to connect the line.

"Hello, Felina."

The voice from the other line hissed a bit from the traffic in the city. "I thought you were still at your place. I've been looking for you almost half the city. And you shouldn't be reporting at the ESACC building."

Chance laughs a bit. "You know where I'm gonna end up if I got free time in my hands."

"Well, if you do have such time, meet me at Manx Memorial Hospital ASAP."

Though Chance didn't hear a hint of concern in Felina's voice, a strange rushing force begins to stir in Chance's gut as he waits for Felina to give him a reason why he needs to go to the hospital.

"Jake Clawson is in there and he's really hurt."


	9. Chapter 09

Chapter 09

MASA Mission Control. Eight hours before launch.

Despite of the time schedule that seem to stifle the utmost strength of the he and she-kats buzzing around the mission control platform, their launch director reminded that as long as they kept their wits about them it will be another successful launch. Among those present in the viewing window behind Mission Control were several delegates from various private and government sectors who have been the backbone of one of the most important events that will change the history of katkind forever. In the front row of seats closest to the window, Commander Feral were discussing some important matters with other of the top brass of the MegaKat Army, two admirals from the MegaKat Navy, and the MBI. Every now and then, a few food trolleys of coffee and pastries were sent to the top brass, knowing that this will be the longest day indeed.

Outside the viewing room, Flight Director Linda Purrsian, continued to answer numerous calls from the people and checking reports on preparations. Placing the small microphone attached to her headset near her lips, she calls in one of the people in charge of the neuro-connections.

"So when will the neuro-conduit be replaced. I hope we're not talking about delaying the launch."

The voice on the other line spoke. "We still have to wait for it to arrive from Young Enterprise. It's been onboard the plane about thirty minutes ago and ETA will be at least an hour. Once it arrives, it will take at least three hours to calibrate and install the necessary programs into it. I figure it won't make any unnecessary delays."

"Just notify me once you get that conduit." Linda ordered as she pulled the microphone away from her lips. Pressing the button on her transceiver attached to the waist of her skirt, she clears her throat and spoke.

"This is the first half, people. I want final reports on the conditions of the shuttle, reports from the weather people, and once the neuro-conduit arrives I want to run a test on the resiliency of its connectivity."

As if time returned to the people of MASA, everyone scrambled to their respective post and began their duties. Purrsian pulls out a small towel she was holding and wipes the sweat off her forehead. Despite of the climate-controlled Mission Control Center along with its air conditioning, it was the very pressure of her job that 'kept her blood boiling with excitement and anxiety'. Breathing out a long sigh, she knows that this must go according to plan and accidents like this would only meant that they should rather well invite catastrophe.

Seven hours and thirty minutes before launch.

Hidden within an abandoned apartment building in the MegaKat Slums, the she-kat known only as Sphinx faces the camera mounted on the computer. A small image display on the computer screen showed nothing but blackness. A dark scratchy voice came out from the speakers mounted above the monitors as if the darkness was speaking to her.

"The mission must not fail."

"I have taken everything into account, my lord. Something must happen to the good people of MegaKat City and I'm sure that it will pressure the mayor to speed up its project." Sphinx answered.

"And what will that measure be?"

"A scientist by the name of Elrod Purvis. Also known as Dr. Viper."

The voice in the computer speaker hissed.

"I do remember him, somehow. But that name disgusts me as I try to remember it."

"He will no longer be a problem once the Enforcers take care of him." Sphinx's lips broke into a wiry smile.

Manx Memorial Hospital. Six hours before launch.

Waiting near the visitors' lobby, Felina Feral checks her watch as she takes a sip from the coffee she got from the vending machine. Every time she takes a sip from the Styrofoam cup, her eyes strains from the strange aftertaste that seem to numb her taste buds. She seems to miss the usual black sludge being served in the officers' mess hall as she forces herself to swallow the black liquid down her throat.

Over an hour ago, Felina visited Callie in her room and acknowledged the presence of the two doctors inside the room. Felina, though, had a strange feeling around Alice Katzenkauf and the small talk between Alice and Felina were a little less friendly as it seems to be. Only an hour left before Chance reports to the launch bay of MASA she thought, at least he could have taken this time to see Jake one more time.

Just when she was about to entertain thoughts of returning home, a huge paw landed over Felina's slender shoulder as she turned her head slightly over it.

"Where's Jake's room?"

Back in Jake's room, the nurse stationed inside the Plexiglas booth was reading a fashion magazine and giggling to herself as if she was reading the humor pages of the magazine. Jake Clawson still lay rather motionless, though conscious enough to stare blankly at the ceiling as if trying to count the number of germs that could be inside the room. The memory of last night has been a recurring nightmare to him. Jake watches (and probably hallucinated) the trickle of warm blood that stained his weapon. He grinds his teeth and squeezes his eyelids shut.

The electronic door lock in the room began to beep as the nurse checks on the small monitor in her console as the two watches the door open. It was Felina who came in first.

"Hey Jake." Felina greets him as if they see each other everyday.

"Hey Felina. What brings you back again?"

"Well, actually, there's someone to see you."

As if on cue, the doors parted wide open, allowing the burly frame of Chance to go pass through the portal. Jake froze for a second, allowing Chance to observe him in his state of bafflement. He chuckles for a bit.

"The last time I remember seeing you like this is when you lost to me in our sparring match and almost twisting your shoulder off."

Felina shot a quick thrust of her elbow against Chance's ribs and shook her head slowly.

Jake returned to frown again at the ceiling as Chance approached Jake's bed. He pulls out a chair and turns the chair around as he sat down and rests his broad arms over the backrest.

"Is this part of the interrogation?" Jake spoke without looking at Chance.

Chance slightly shook his head. Felina walked at the other end of the room and rests her back against the wall.

"Nothing like that, pal. I'm just here to make a statement."

Jake turns his head away from Chance.

"As far as you're concerned, I do apologize for taking those plans of the experimental turbine, but I am not apologizing for doing my duty as an Enforcer. I guess it'll take a lot more of our nine lives for you to forgive me but I am proud to say that those thrusters you designed were the best that Puma-Dyne has ever seen."

"That's nice to hear." Jake answered. "I guess more planes can be made out of it."

"That's where you're wrong, old buddy. In about a few hours, that very turbine will be used to power the second launch for the second phase of the Kat's Eye. And you know what else?"

Chance paused in hopes that Jake would see him eye-to-eye. When he waited long enough, Chance continued.

"I'll be riding that shuttle. I guess that would also mean you don't have me to be angry at. I'll probably stay there for God-knows-when."

Jake finally turns to face Chance in the eye. His face froze as he takes in breath now understanding what Callie meant when she was talking about who were the pilots of today's launch.

"It's been a lifelong dream for you, right? I mean, you to be the first kat in space."

Chance nodded. "And I wouldn't be one without those plans."

Jake and Chance kept staring at each other, probably wondering how time managed to change their perspective on how they look at life, at reality. Pondering of whether they will see each other once again, it seems that only time and chance will have to decide on it. Felina tapped on Chance's shoulders then tapped on her wristwatch, signaling him that it's almost time to report to MASA for preparations.

"I guess this is it, old buddy." Chance said, yet his voice was low. Just before he could lift himself off the chair, Jake calls on him again. It was a name he longed to hear from him once again.

"T-Bone. There's one other thing. Go back to the hangar and press the code FIRE KAT on the vault. I think you should have it."

Felina looks at Chance, her gaze alive with worry. "I don't think we have time for this."

Chance turns around shot a stern look at Felina. "Send a chopper at the salvage yard to take us to MASA once I pick it up. This is important."

Salvage Yard. Five hours and twenty minutes before launch.

It's been awhile when Chance felt the acceleration of freefall as he descends through the secret shaft that leads to the underground hangar. Felina was with him, too, though for the first time she felt dizzy and thought that a fighter jet stalling felt more peaceful than this. The two landed after a few seconds and Chance walked ahead of Felina towards the long corridor towards the twenty-by-fifteen-foot vault door. The metal door that Chance used to remember how shiny it used to be now dulled by the dust and cobwebs as he brushes it off the control panel. He enters the code that Jake told him and the eight-inch blast doors parted away with hydraulic pressure. Inside, nine overhead lights flickered to life while the last one only flickered in vain as he passed through the numerous boxes of gadgets and weapons accumulated over a few short years. At the end of the room, a large glass casing as high as the room contained a suit that Chance has never seen before. It was closed with a simple lock and opened the doors. Tailor made for his body build, Chance could only stare at awe as he reached for it. Unaware of an electronic eye hidden behind the glass, Jake's voice echoed all around the room.

"I guess we all have our paths to take, and I chose to live a peaceful life now. Ever since the terrorist attack two years ago, I often blame myself for the needless death of so many people regardless if they're our enemy. I thought that designing non-lethal weapons were the only things that could help our cause, but in reality there will be evil that will take lives as well.

"I've always been jealous of your ability to fly, probably I could never live up to your standards. Being a brain, it taught me that there are people out there who could excel in other fields even though I wanted what was yours, the sky. Maybe I could have joined the Enforcers once again, but my hands are too stained with blood that I swore it off.

"This EVA suit can withstand the vastness of space and high temperatures. It took me a few years to develop it during our time when we were remembered as the SWAT Kats and now we know that we are not alone in the universe. There are more surprises, but this suit will be among the first. Cool design, huh?

"Hopefully this will take you to the stars and if you could, get one for me. I'm sorry for blaming you for the past months."

The voice recording ended and Chance stood in front of the suit. Looking at the rigid black plastic and Kevlar coverings and the helmet that resembled a dirt bike rider's helmet with an enclosed visor, Chance could only stare speechlessly at it. Yet deep in his mind, the true jealousy comes from Chance, Without Jake, nothing like this could have ever happened.

"So this is what Jake was cooking up." Felina entered the vault as she passed through the same boxes that Chance passed through a few minutes ago. Just as she nears the end of the vault, she stopped dead on her tracks and was about to pick up her gun tucked between the back of her jeans when she saw a huge dark figure standing behind the glass casings. But when she approached the figure more closely, she recognized the kind of design that she once saw as one of the SWAT Kats, this time with armor.

"Let's head back to MASA." Chance said as he carried the helmet tucked under his right arm.


End file.
